Imperfections
by The Overlady
Summary: This is my story, the story of an unforgettable adventure in a land that I never thought existed that started because of a girl, an evil overlord, and my birthday.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
"Jordan, breakfast!"  
  
Someone's shouting my name, who is it? Everything's dark...  
  
"Jordan, are you joining the living today?"  
  
Who is that? They sound so familiar...  
  
"Jordan! If you don't come down now, I'll be forced to come up there! Don't make me come up!"  
  
It's a female voice... Could that be the blonde girl from my dream? She was so pretty...  
  
"Okay, that is it young man! You've done nothing but lie around the house all summer. We're going to get you up whether you like it or not."  
  
There's the sound of footsteps on the stairs. Someone's shaking me awake. I open my eyes, hoping to see the sexy blonde from my dream, but all I see is a mop of red hair standing over me. My sister. Yuck.  
  
"Go 'way Jen! I'll tear you limb from limb for waking me up!" I hope I sound convincing, knowing full well I don't.  
  
"Mom's making your favorite. Oatmeal." She smirks. I hate oatmeal.  
  
Suddenly there's a voice from downstairs. "JORDAN! If you don't come down here, you'll be grounded!"  
  
I know that tone. I get up. "Coming Mom!" I shout back at her. Mothers. They don't understand that guys have to get twelve hours of sleep to function properly. "Get out! This is MY room! I need to dress!" I throw on some clothes, and run downstairs before Mom can make good her threat to ground me. But I barely have time to think of how I could get out of it before everyone shouts "Surprise!" I completely forgot. Today's my birthday!  
  
"I hope this means we're not having oatmeal!"  
  
"Nope. We're having green eggs and ham," says my sister. I hate her sarcasm. It sounds like mine.  
  
"Great! My favorite!" It turns out that we're having eggs and ham, just not of the green variety. After breakfast we're going to a picnic. My sister has to go upstairs and put on makeup. Girls. She looks fine without it, but she 'can't risk being seen by someone she knows without it on'. Oh well. Guess I'll never understand girls. Not that I want to. I go up myself and wash my hair in the sink. Might as well look good on my birthday. After all, it's not every day you turn eighteen. In fact, it's only one day. So I'm going to look my best on it. Too bad my wet rag of cornflower blonde never looks remotely clean, even after I've just washed it. Oh well. I stop and think about my hair for a moment. I'm the only one in my family that has blonde hair. My sister insists that she's a strawberry blonde, but her hair's just red. This isn't the only time I've wondered about this. I act differently than them too. Oh, sure, Jen has my sense of humor, but that's just rubbed off over the years. It used to really get to her. The rest of my family is really traditional, but I don't really care for all that stuff. Maybe some stuff, like having a party every year for my birthday, but my mom insisting that we have the same stuff for breakfast every year, and Jen always wearing the same color clothes, I'm not into that stuff. This isn't the only time I've thought about the possibility of being switched at birth. It won't be the last. I hear Mom calling me. Off to the picnic. At least I can count on her potato salad. Like I said, tradition.  
  
"Come on Jordan, we'll be late!" I run to the car, hair still dripping. It'll dry. As I squeeze myself into the backseat, Jen comes running out of the house in her traditional blue. I can't help but think of my dream for a second. The sexy blonde was wearing blue. I like blue. It reminds me of peace, and free things... Whoa. Where did that corny load of bull come from? I'm not a sentimental kind of person. I hope I don't do that again, especially in front of the guys. But I think about the girl again. She had blue eyes too. And a blue glass potato with holes in it and a mouthpiece. Oh well. She was still hot. I'm so wrapped up in my thoughts that I don't notice that we've arrived. I'm still in a daze as we get out of the car. Absently I help set up the picnic blanket. I notice a girl staring at me from across the park. Funny, but she looks almost like the girl from my dream. Same blonde hair, same blue dress. This is starting to freak me out. Better get back to matters at hand, like keeping Jen from eating all of the food. I swear that girl eats more than I do, but somehow she still manages to keep looking like a supermodel. Not that I'd tell her that. I look over at the girl again, but she looks away, embarrassed to be caught staring. Not like she could help it. With my natural good looks no one can resist me.  
  
"Pass the sandwiches," Jen says to me, snapping me back to reality.  
  
"Not until I get mine," I counter. I love making her wait. It's so much fun to have a little sister.  
  
I look over, once again catching the girl staring at me. I try to read her expression before she turns away, but I'm not that good with expressions anyway.  
  
"Pass the potato salad," Jen comments again. She never seems to show emotion. Just one more difference between my family and I.  
  
"Not until I get some. After all, it is my birthday." I've hit a sore spot. She is so jealous about me turning adult and going off to college before her. Not my fault she's younger than me.  
  
As the last of the picnic withers away, I get up and wander. I love the outdoors. There's so much room, not like the cramped city. At least I live in the suburbs. I'm trying to enjoy as much of free life before I head off to dorm rooms and professors. My parents say I've got a rare talent for numbers, but school bores me. So what if I can do math? It's not like it's important or anything. I mean, you don't need to know math to look at the sun, or the trees. You don't need it to fall in love. I mentally slap myself. Again with the sappiness? What's wrong with me today? Pretty soon I'll be quoting Shakespeare. I walk towards the girl. I can't pretend for a second that she's not hot. Maybe I can convince her to go out with me. Hey, we might even be going to the same college! You never know. She turns to look at me and I falter for just a second. Her smile is so pretty. What if she doesn't like me? Or if she's already got a boyfriend? I regain my courage and continue walking toward her, flashing my best smile. No one can resist it.  
  
"Hey. What's your name?" I say. Good way to start a conversation.  
  
"Heather. Why don't you sit down?"  
  
I sit.  
  
"What's your name?" she asks me.  
  
"Jordan. I like your hair." I like your hair? God, what is wrong with me?  
  
She laughs. "Thanks. I get that a lot." Good, I haven't completely embarrassed myself.  
  
"So, what grade are you in?" She hesitates a second, then answers.  
  
"I'm just out of high school. How 'bout you?"  
  
"Same. I'm planning on going to college, but I'm not sure where I want to go yet. Might give it another year." I can feel my cool coming back. This isn't going as badly as I thought it would.  
  
"That's nice. So, what brings you to the park today?"  
  
"Actually, it's my birthday today. It's also a nice day."  
  
"Not a cloud in the sky. Good place for a birthday party."  
  
"I'm over the party thing. I just have a picnic here every year to celebrate."  
  
"Happy birthday, then. What are you doing later? Maybe we could hang out?"  
  
Yes! She's making this way easy. Even with all the other girls, I have a hard time. How was I supposed to invite over this goddess? "You can come over later. Here, hold out your hand." I take out my pen and write my address on her hand. "There. Now you can find me. Now, what brings you to the park today?"  
  
"Nothing really. I just couldn't take one more day of that crowded city. I'm here visiting. I'm used to the countryside. This is so much more crowded." She looks over at me and smiles that smile. If I had my cool, I've lost it now. "The people here are so nice though. I've already met so many people, and they're all so nice." She looks over my shoulder. "Well, I have to go now. I'll come by later though. See you then!"  
  
"Bye! See you later!" I wave, and just happen to see whom she's walking towards. It's this scary-looking woman with gray hair. Not your average no- more-color gray. This lady's hair looks like sheet metal. And she's got a scowl on her face. Hope that's not her mother. I don't think she likes me.  
  
"C'mon Jordan!" My sister's calling me. I wave once more to Heather. I really hope she comes over later. 


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
"Jordan! Have you seen my coat?" My sister yells at me from upstairs. They're leaving to go shopping. I didn't want to go. I just got a new game for my game system. Like I'd leave that.  
  
"It's probably in your closet!" I yell back. Silence, then...  
  
"How do you know where all of my stuff is?" my sister yells back.  
  
"It's always in the same place. How do you never know where it is?" My sister is so strange. She always puts her stuff in the same place, yet she never seems to know where anything is.  
  
"Honey, we're leaving now. Are you sure you don't want to come?" my mom insists one last time.  
  
"No Mom. I just want to stay and play my new game. See you later. Love you." As they are pulling out of the driveway, I run to turn my game on. I hardly ever get a chance to play, what with my sister hogging it all the time. She's into little red plumbers. I'm not. No, my preference is sword- fighting guys that run around in green. Yeah, I'm a Zelda fan through and through. I hate Mario. I used to call my sister Maria just to tick her off, but she started calling me Link, and I stopped. It's childish anyway. I watch the opening screen, listening to the music and kicking back on the couch. I think about the girl from the park. I really hope she comes over. Come to think of it, she looks kinda like Zelda. I wonder if she'll be offended if I tell her that. I hope not. Zelda's pretty. So is Heather. Heather... I like that name. I realize I need to enter in my name. I enter Link, as is customary. This is probably the only other tradition I follow. If I'm playing a new Zelda game, I name my character Link. Makes much more sense than wearing blue every year for my birthday. There's a knock on the door. It's Heather.  
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," she asks meekly.  
  
"Not at all. I was just about to play my new game, but I can put that away."  
  
"What game is it?"  
  
"It's the new Zelda game. Wind Waker."  
  
"I love video games. Can I watch?" Wow, this girl likes video games?  
  
"Sure! Come on in! We won't be interrupted by my sister either. They've gone shopping." We sit on the couch. It's just like watching a movie. She laughs and jumps at all the right parts. It's strange though. I mean, it's just a video game. Not like it's real.  
  
"Aw crap. I can't seem to get this part." It's an excuse. I'd rather hang out with her than play games all day.  
  
"Can I try?" she asks. She's giving me that look of hers. How can I say no to that? I hand her the controller, and guess what? She got through it.  
  
"You're good at that," I say. She laughs. I love her laugh. We look at each other. She's smiling. Before I know what's happening, we're leaning in toward each other. She's put the controller aside, and has her arms around me. I'm holding her too. She fits like she was made to go there. We lean toward each other, eyes closed...  
  
And the lights go out. Great. A blackout.  
  
"That's too bad. And you didn't even save your..." She cuts off there, her eyes wide.  
  
The game's still on.  
  
"This wasn't in the manual," I say, falling back on my sarcasm. I'm scared out of my mind. "It can't get any stranger than this."  
  
As if on cue, the screen starts to shift and turn, moving like water. I was wrong. It can get stranger.  
  
"What's it doing, Jordan?" she asks. You can hear the fear in her voice. I hate that. I don't want her to be scared. I move toward it. The colors start spinning faster. I might think this was pretty if I wasn't so freaked out. I lean forward. I get the overwhelming desire to reach my hand out. I can't help it. I touch it.  
  
Sparks are flying, but that's the least of my worries. It's hard to think straight. My whole body aches as if it were on fire. I pull away, but it worsens. I scream once, and black out.  
  
Where am I? I hear voices... They whisper to me...  
  
"Child... Come, child."  
  
It's speaks so softly, yet I'm afraid. Why...?  
  
"Child of destiny... Follow... Ease your weariness... Follow us... Ours is the greater path..."  
  
Out of the darkness, this voice calls to me. Where have I heard it before?  
  
"Hero, follow us... Live in greatness... Choose our path..."  
  
Hero? Now I'm confused. I shout into the darkness.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am the great one. Follow my ways... Live in greatness..."  
  
Why does this sound sinister? Out of the darkness, another voice calls to me. This one is loud and clear.  
  
"Jordan! Don't listen! Come to the light!"  
  
I like this voice. It's commanding and soothing at the same time.  
  
"Hero... Do not listen... Come to me... I will heal you..."  
  
I notice that I don't feel like I'm on fire anymore... This voice can't be so bad...  
  
"No! Jordan! Don't listen to it! It's evil! It'll hurt you!"  
  
It won't hurt me... It healed me...  
  
"It's a trick! It's trying to deceive you! Come to me! Please!"  
  
I call out to the darkness surrounding me. "How do I know you're telling the truth?"  
  
"Hero... I will not lie to you... I can offer you greatness..."  
  
"Jordan! It's lying now! You have to trust me! It's me, Heather! If you won't do it for you, do it for me! Please?"  
  
She sounds genuinely worried... I want to comfort her... "Heather! How do I get to you?"  
  
"Hero... You choose pain over greatness and glory? Come to me... I can show you glory... You can rule... Everyone will follow you... Everyone bow down to you... Does not glory sound nice?"  
  
Glory does sound nice... I call into the overwhelming darkness... "Who are you? Where do you come from?"  
  
"Child of Destiny... I am the great one... I can show you-"  
  
I cut it off before it can finish. "What do you mean, Child of Destiny? And what is your name?"  
  
"Jordan! Don't encourage it! It feeds off of your energy! You'll set it free!"  
  
"Maybe I want it free! What if glory sounds appealing?"  
  
"Jordan! No! Don't listen! It's lying to you!"  
  
She's positively crying now... I don't care, she has to be lying to me...  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
Silence... I hear a choked sob... I didn't mean to hurt her feelings...  
  
"Heather?"  
  
"Hero... Follow... Awaken..."  
  
"Who are you?" It starts to answer, but is interrupted by a very loud voice.  
  
"SILENCE, SLIME! WEAVE YOUR LIES NO LONGER! HERO OF TIME! COME BACK TO THE LIGHT!"  
  
Hero of Time? Now I'm really confused... But where have I heard that before...  
  
"Hero... So you are the Child of Destiny... Come... Follow me... I leave you a path to greatness and glory... Awaken, fallen Hero... She cannot make you great!"  
  
I can't help but want to listen... I really need to work on controlling my emotions...  
  
"Awaken..."  
  
Somehow, I don't know how, I know exactly what to say.  
  
"Awaken me! Give me glory!"  
  
I awaken in a bright flash of light, and I hear two things. A cry of defeat from Heather, and a spine-chilling evil laugh from the other voice.  
  
"Fool! You have chosen darkness! How could you do that?" Heather screams at me, but I'm not listening. I'm staring up at the monstrosity that is that other voice. I know who he is now. He reaches down, and I struggle to get away, but he is faster than me. His grip tightens about my throat, and I can feel him trying to snap my neck.  
  
"You asked who I was? I am Ganondorf." 


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey, I'm back. Hopefully for good. I have a few things to tell you guys, so if you'd be patient and read this it would be greatly appreciated.  
  
First, I'd like to thank all of you who reviewed. It's so good to hear that someone out there actually likes my work. Makes it seem like I'm not writing for nothing. So... thanks.  
  
Also, I'd like to credit Lady Rose/Rose Zemlya with the formatting for this story. Those of you who have read The Return (good story) notice that I've "borrowed" the brief interlude and the first person present. When I had first read her story, I was inspired to write something in that format. And so came this story.  
  
I would also like to warn you that this story has a slowly progressing plot. In all reality, I've only just started typing the actual adventure part. For this reason, I'm considering making my secondary genre drama. I have about twenty chapters of character development, and if the plot seems to move too slowly, then... it is moving too slowly. Forgive me for my bullheadedness, but I like these chapters and can't find it in my heart to delete them. Go figure. For this reason, I'll try to post the chapters two at a time, twice a week. If I forget, don't be afraid to remind me.  
  
I'd like to encourage you, the reviewers, to comment on any aspect of the story that you don't understand, think could be improved, or just like in general. I love to hear feedback from you guys, and it's too often that I don't get any constructive criticism. Some would take this as a compliment, but it really helps an author to get comments on parts of their work. Reviews help me understand my stories from a reader's point of view. Besides, there are some things that an author won't catch that a reader will.  
  
I hope that covers everything, and I look forward to hearing from you guys. Any more updates will be in my profile or in an upcoming chapter. If there are any questions, feel free to email me.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
A Brief Interlude  
  
"We have to save him! He's our only hope!"  
  
"We can't, princess. He chose death."  
  
"Who will lead us, then?"  
  
Silence, then...  
  
"Good point. There must be some way to save him..."  
  
"We can't just let him die! We have to save him! I don't care if you come or not, but I'm going!"  
  
"Now, princess..."  
  
"Are you coming or not?"  
  
A sigh, then,  
  
"I guess we have no choice. Come on."  
  
Everything's dark... Someone's calling my name... Is this what death feels like?  
  
"Hero... Come to the light, Hero..."  
  
A mist surrounds my thoughts... My sight is hazy...  
  
"Pull yourself together, Hero!"  
  
I try. I can barely hold my eyes open, but it's enough to see a circle of people around me.  
  
"Where am I? Is Heather okay?"  
  
"I'm here, Hero. Do not try to speak."  
  
I feel like I'm floating. Am I a ghost? The people begin chanting... Their words are a comfort... All feeling leaves me... I float there, enjoying it. A new, deeper voice speaks to me.  
  
"Hero. It is your choice. Do you return to the light?"  
  
I don't hesitate. "Yes. Will you take me?"  
  
Heather speaks again. "Hero, it is your choice, but we welcome you."  
  
"Thank you." I try and sit up, but it's too much effort and I black out again.  
  
I sit up, ignoring my protesting body, and examine my surroundings. I think I'm in a palace. I look over. I see Heather standing beside me. It then occurs to me that I'm on a bed.  
  
"I must be in Heaven. I'm seeing angels." Maybe I can win her over with flattery.  
  
"Don't even try it. Do you know exactly how much trouble you are in? I can't believe you! You're so weak."  
  
I look at her. She looks at me.  
  
"I can't believe you went and chose the dark side, after I told you he was lying and everything! Do you have any idea how worried I was! But you're okay now, Link."  
  
"Yeah, I'm sorry about... Wait. What did you call me?" I look at her. She looks at me.  
  
"What do you mean?" she asks. Wow. She's even beautiful when she's ticked off.  
  
"You called me Link. And everyone was calling me Hero before. I think you have me mixed up with someone else." I look at her, but she's not looking at me anymore.  
  
"Well, it's an easy mistake to make, considering..."  
  
"Considering what?"  
  
She doesn't answer straight away, but walks to a dresser and picks up a mirror. "This might help explain some things."  
  
She hands me the mirror. "Before you look, just prepare yourself for the worst."  
  
Yeah, thanks. Now I'm afraid to look. I hold the mirror up to my face, and immediately drop it again. I look down at the rest of me. I'm wearing green. Why didn't I notice that before? I pick up the mirror again. It's still relatively the same me, but definitely different on a few fronts. First, my ears are long. And pointy. And I'm wearing the most ridiculous hat on my head... Then it hits me. I look like Link. And Link is the Hero of Time. So that makes me...  
  
"I'm... I'm..."  
  
"You're Link, the Hero of Time."  
  
I falter, but only for a moment. "I'm WHAT!?" I shout at her. She looks stricken.  
  
"You're the-"  
  
"Yes, I heard you, but when did I switch from being Jordan, ordinary eighteen year old boy, to Link, Hero of Time?"  
  
"It's a long story..."  
  
"We've got time."  
  
"Well, about eighteen years ago, Ganon broke free of the hold that the descendants of the sages had on him. They-"  
  
"Time out. Since when is The Legend of Zelda real?"  
  
"Since always. Don't interrupt. Now, as I was saying, they-"  
  
"But it's just a video game!'  
  
"No, it's not. Anyway, they-"  
  
"But-"  
  
"Are you going to let me tell the story? Or should I just spend this time convincing you that there is a Hyrule?" I fall silent. "Good. Now, like I was saying, they found out about this, being so closely connected to the Sacred Realm. They sealed him away temporarily, but with his power growing, they needed a hero to seal him forever. Now, Ganon's power did not go unnoticed by his minions. They felt his return, and set out at once to find the new hero."  
  
"Sorry to interrupt again, but the 'new hero'?"  
  
"Yes, your ancestor had since been gone from this realm, and his soul was to be reincarnated so that he could continue his duties to this realm. Ganon's minions set out to find that reincarnate, and destroy it as to make way for Ganon's return. But that could not be allowed. Eventually, they were drawn to the power of the Triforce of Courage, when you were barely a few months old. But the sages got there first. They tried to protect the mother, but she was mortally wounded. They cast a spell to send you to earth. Even though any Hylian would have loved the honor of raising you, we chose to put you with an earth family so you could not be found. You were to be summoned on your eighteenth birthday, so you could come to Hyrule and strike down Ganon once again. Hence, your meeting with me at the park. However, once again, Ganon managed to find you. When you touched the portal- "  
  
"Portal? What portal?"  
  
"The one on the television, in place of the video game. When you touched it, you were supposed to be pulled straight to Ganon. However, you managed to break the link between you and the portal, and you hung in the void between here and the sacred realm. When you chose the path to Ganon, he fed off of your choice, and pulled you to him. Don't ask me how; I don't know. The sages and I came to the quick decision that we had to rescue you. Unfortunately, we had to take you out of the Sacred Realm. Thus, your appearance changed. Since you are so closely tied to the Sacred Realm, it affected you this way, changing your appearance to your true identity. Obviously, the sages couldn't leave you looking like a Hylian, so they altered your appearance to look like a human."  
  
"Oh." There's nothing else to say. I must be dreaming. When I got electrocuted from the television, I must have gone into shock. I pinch myself. "Ouch!"  
  
"See? Told you."  
  
"But... That's impossible!"  
  
"You got a better explanation?"  
  
I don't.  
  
She gets up and walks across the room. She's staring out the window. I follow, and look out as well.  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
"We wait and see if Ganon shows himself."  
  
"I thought you locked him in the Sacred Realm?"  
  
"We did, but when we had to take you out of it, the seal was weakened. During the time you were unconscious, Ganon gained enough power to finally dispel the seal."  
  
"So what you're saying, is that Ganon is free?"  
  
"Yes. That is what I'm saying."  
  
"So where is he?"  
  
"We don't know." 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: One review. ONE. (For last chapter, anyway.) I appreciate the enthusiasm that you guys met this with, but don't turn lazy on me now. There are still twenty-some chapters to go! (Most of which, as I said before, are characterization...) Anyway, the sword fighting in this and later chapters is completely out of my head, and seeing as I don't know how to sword fight, it's probably not as accurate as it could be. Tell me if there's anything wrong.  
  
Oh, yeah, and I own that poem later in the chapter. It is mine. Don't steal it.  
  
Chapter 4  
  
"You're doing much better!" my trainer shouts encouragingly. Yeah right. I'm still nowhere near good enough to fight Ganondorf. Like I'll ever be. I need to at least be able to defend myself, though. I try and swing this clumsy hunk of metal in my hand, and end up toppling over onto the floor of the room we're in. My trainer sighs.  
  
"I take back what I said about improving. You need help."  
  
"Thanks. That's encouraging. Maybe I'll be able to seal away Ganon when I'm fifty." I stand up again. "Come on, I'll beat you this time!"  
  
My trainer sighs again.  
  
"You're holding the sword wrong. Maybe we should let you practice with the Master Sword. You might feel more comfortable."  
  
Heather looks up at him at this suggestion. "What! Let him practice with a real sword! He'd end up impaling himself on it!"  
  
"I would not," I mutter in defense.  
  
"Besides, with Ganon being so closely connected with the Sacred Realm, he would sense the removal of the sword from the pedestal." She sighs, and looks away. "Besides, the Door of Time is sealed. For safekeeping, you know. Don't want random villagers trying to pull the sword." She says this last part very quickly and quietly.  
  
My trainer stares at her. "The Door of Time has been sealed? Who sealed it?"  
  
A small mutter escapes her.  
  
"What was that?" I say.  
  
"I said I sealed it! Okay? It was for the best!"  
  
"Don't freak out Heather. How did you get access to it anyway?" I ask.  
  
They both stare at me. Heather speaks.  
  
"I'm the princess Zelda. Heather was my alias."  
  
I suddenly feel very stupid.  
  
"Of course. So how do I open it?"  
  
"You have to ask the people of Hyrule for the Spiritual Stones. They should give them willingly. They are held by-"  
  
"I know who's got them. You really think they'll just hand them over?"  
  
"They should. I don't see why not. Just explain the situation."  
  
Yeah right. Last time, according to legend, even if I did explain the situation, I had to put myself in danger to get what I needed. No way they'll make me go inside a fish.  
  
"Well, I'd better practice so I can at least swing a sword without falling over. Let's get to it, then."  
  
A voice calls from out in the hallway.  
  
"Princess! Dinner's in an hour! You need to change!"  
  
"It takes you an hour to change?"  
  
"No, but it takes an hour to get my hair up to my nurse's strict standards. She means well."  
  
I stare after her as she walks out of the room. I can't wait to see her dressed up. I'll bet she looks like a goddess.  
  
"Pay attention, lover boy. Assume correct defensive position. Hop to it!"  
  
I try and bring my sword up to block his blow, but he just pushes it out of the way and knocks me on my back. It's going to be a long day...  
  
I'm sitting in the noisy great hall of the castle. It's dinnertime, and we're waiting to be served. Most people are staring at me. I don't know if it's because I look like the Hero of Time, or if it's because I'm sitting next to Zelda. I bet most people would kill for a seat like this. I really don't care at the moment, seeing as I can't feel my arms.  
  
"Rough day of training?" she asks. She's watching me try and shake some feeling into my limbs.  
  
"No kidding. I don't know how I'm going to be able to walk out of the hall. I can barely feel my feet."  
  
The past hour is all a blur to me really. I don't remember half of my lesson. I couldn't help not paying attention. It should seem that a guy lunging at me with a sword should wake me from my daze, but my heart wasn't in it. My heart was with my family. I kept thinking what Jen would say if she could see me now. I know I wasn't always that nice to her, but I miss her a lot. I keep thinking about what she'll say to me when I get home. If I get home. That was another thought speeding through my brain every five seconds. What if I die on this mission? Will Hyrule be doomed? I might never get to see my friends or family again. I might never get to see Zelda again. It would be really pitiful if I died on my first attempt at a mission. And I have to learn all these new skills, like fencing, archery, and horseback riding, not to mention stealth and logic. Those are two things that I never really had. Logic. Ha. If I had logic, I would have realized that Heather was really Princess Zelda. If I had logic, I would have never touched the portal thing on the television. I don't have any logic, and forget about stealth. I couldn't sneak up on a blind slug. My thoughts are interrupted when I realize someone's talking to me.  
  
"Sorry, what was that?"  
  
"Are you really the new hero?"  
  
"As far as I know."  
  
"Then meet me in the armory after dinner."  
  
That was weird. Note to self: Don't agree to do something creepy for someone you don't know.  
  
I realize that everyone is standing up. Must be a custom of theirs. I stand too. We all look out the big window overlooking the Market and watch the sunset. It's pretty. We sit back down. Zelda remains standing though.  
  
"We gather here today  
  
To share with friends our wealth  
  
They share this meal with us  
  
And leave us in good health  
  
To any goddess listening  
  
May fortune find those pure  
  
And leave us without troubles  
  
Time will be the cure."  
  
The table broke into applause. "She writes a new one every week. It's our only break from her father's boring, out-of-the-book grace," the person next to me comments. "The last line seemed a bit out of place though," he adds. I know why she wrote the last line like that. Me. I don't have long to think about it, though, because steaming trays of food are being brought out of the kitchens. The kitchen staff sets the food on the table and lifts the lids off of the trays. I'm immediately faced with a decision. What should I get to eat? It all looks delicious! I happen to glance up and notice the staff is all smiling. Not the fake smile that waitresses wear when they're trying to get a big tip, no, these guys look genuinely happy. They either enjoy working here, or are paid generously. I'd probably bet both. I don't think about this for long, as Zelda's pointing out what I should take and what I shouldn't.  
  
"Try the filet mignon. That's always nice. Or the stuffed mushrooms. But stay away from the fish. I don't know if it's just me, but the fish haven't been tasting quite right lately."  
  
"Thanks for the tip. I'll keep that in mind. Everything looks superb." I reach for everything and anything near me. We never had food like this at home, not even on Thanksgiving! I don't get any fish though. I look at the princess. She's not trying to scarf down everything at once, like I am. She's eating with so much more grace than I ever could. I guess these types of things are bred into you. I try and eat slower. I also notice that nobody is eating in silence. Everyone is talking. Of course, nobody talks with their mouth full, but this isn't just a time to relax. It's a time to socialize. At my table, no one talks cause everyone's too busy filling their face. I've noticed this kind of thing with other stuff too. It's not so rushed here. At home, everyone is rushing to do everything, and the sooner you get it done, the sooner you can move on to something else. But here, no one is rushing to get chores done. It feels relaxed.  
  
When dinner (and dessert – a huge cake) is over, everyone takes about thirty minutes to finally get up. I'm probably the first one out of the hall. I start to walk toward the room I'm staying in, but remember the guy from dinner. I head off to the armory. When I get there, I look around. The place looks deserted. There's not even a guard! For some reason, I really wish there was. Someone hurries up behind me.  
  
"Go in the room!" says the guy from the great hall. I go in.  
  
"What is it you want?" I ask.  
  
"I was watching you practice. With a little more training, you could be an honorary member of our group." Suddenly there are people all around the perimeter of the room, all of them wearing cloaks, stepping out of the shadows. Creepy.  
  
"What's your group all about?"  
  
"We're the best swordsmen in the whole of Hyrule. You've got promise, kid. Everyone agrees that you should join the brotherhood." Several people nod.  
  
"How do I join?"  
  
He grins. Somehow, I know joining isn't going to be easy. "You have to pass our test. You have to fight me, and win."  
  
I knew it wasn't going to be easy.  
  
"Don't worry, kid. We'll help train you. Meet us an hour after dinner in two days in the courtyard, and bring whatever you're using as a sword." He pats my shoulder. "Remember, you've got promise."  
  
They all line up in some pre-chosen order and walk out of the room. Weird. Guess I know where I'll be after dinner in two days. I walk out of the room with that comforting thought, and try and make my way back to my bedroom. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: To reiterate, I don't know a thing about sword fighting, so forgive me for the 'imperfections' in this chapter. (Yeah, I know, bad pun...)  
  
Chapter 5  
  
"Link!" Zelda calls. I really wish she would call me Jordan. It feels weird being called Link.  
  
"Yes, Princess?" I call back.  
  
"I've been looking for you. There's something else you need to learn." Great. Another thing on the list of things I'll never really learn.  
  
I've just gotten back to the bedroom wing from my little escapade in the armory. No mean feat, let me tell you. This castle is so huge, I'm surprised Zelda doesn't get lost.  
  
"What else do I need to know?" I call back. I don't know if I can squeeze anything else into my already crowded brain.  
  
"You might want to sit down..." That sounds ominous.  
  
"I don't need to use my muscles to learn it, do I?" If I do, there's no way I'm learning it tonight.  
  
"No, but follow me." I follow. We must be going to her room. For a moment, I'm really excited. I'm going to see the inside of the princess's bedroom! My friends back home would kill for this opportunity. Once we're inside, the feeling stops. This looks like a more expensive version of my sister's room. A wave of homesickness washes over me.  
  
"Link? Is something the matter?"  
  
"This looks like my sister's room." Zelda looks at me. I can see the sympathy in her eyes. She doesn't want me to be unhappy. I wipe all thoughts from my mind when she pulls out a blue glass potato with holes in it. A vague memory triggers in my brain, but I'm not sure from where.  
  
"Link, do you know what this is?"  
  
"A glass potato?" She sighs.  
  
"No. It's an ocarina." She looks at me, trying to read my expression, but I have no clue what she's going on about.  
  
"What does this have to do with the new skill I have to learn?"  
  
She sighs again. That can't be a good sign. "You have to learn to play it."  
  
I give a start. "WHAT! Me, play an ocarina? I don't have any musical talent, Zelda! None! I can't even hum! How am I supposed to learn something as complex as the ocarina?"  
  
"It's not really that hard, Link. Just give it a couple days. You'll get the hang of it."  
  
I continue to stare at her, not saying anything.  
  
"Try it. It's fun!" she says encouragingly. "Please?" She's looking at me like she does. How does this girl know my weak point?  
  
"Okay, I'll try it. But don't say I didn't warn you!" I take the ocarina. It's very pretty really. It's deep blue, and fits perfectly in my hand. It's the color of Zelda's eyes. I love her eyes...  
  
I put the mouthpiece to my lips, and blow as hard as I can. Bad move. The instrument gives a loud squeak, and I drop it and cover my ears. I notice Zelda doing the same.  
  
"Not bad for a beginner!" she says. Yeah right. That was awful.  
  
"I'll be playing better than those who've been playing their whole lives in a little while. Give me a week!"

============

It's the next day, and I'm standing in the training room again. Somehow, Zelda managed to drag me out of bed and get me to get up and train again. I can barely stand, my muscles are so sore. I've been trying to pay attention, but half of learning is doing, and I can't do much of anything. Zelda's in the corner, trying really hard not to laugh. My trainer isn't so polite. He's laughing outright.  
  
"It's not my fault you overworked me yesterday! I need to sit down."  
  
"Haven't you been sitting enough? Do I need to knock you down again?"  
  
I glare at him. "That's okay, I can knock myself down, thank you very much."  
  
Zelda can't hold back any longer. I turn my glare at her. "It's true, you know, Link. You can knock yourself down very well." She then bursts into laughter. It's contagious. I can't help but laugh at myself too.  
  
"I think I've mastered the art of falling down. I've done it enough."  
  
My trainer looks up at me from where he's sitting on the floor, helpless with laughter. "Maybe you can finally move on to knocking yourself out!" Everyone breaks out in laughter again. I can't help but agree. Maybe I will get good at knocking myself out...  
  
"No! Block with your sword! Hold it up, you're letting it hang too much. And put your body behind it when you swing!"  
  
Zelda's gone to do something princess-like, and the training's back on. No one's laughing anymore. I really need to get better...  
  
"How am I supposed to hold it up when you're pushing it down? I've never done this before, give me a break!" I'm practically yelling. I need something to vent my frustration on.  
  
"How are you going to learn if I let you win?" he yells back. The clanging of metal on metal is starting to drive me crazy. I don't know how much more of this I can take.  
  
"I might learn if you made it possible to win!"  
  
"It is possible! You're just not trying hard enough!"  
  
Trying! I'm trying as best I can, and he says I'm not trying hard enough? I'll show him...  
  
I swing my sword, bringing it crashing onto his. The vibration kills almost all feeling in my hand, but I'm too stressed out to notice it. I expertly flick my wrist, and we break the hold on each other's swords. I use this opportunity to catch him off guard. I follow through with my sword and swing it as hard as I can toward his, catching it on the edge closest to him. The force of the blow forces the sword out of his hand, and I flick my sword to catch it near the hilt. With an upward motion, I toss it into the air, and catch it as it comes down. My trainer's staring at me in amazement. I'm pretty amazed too.  
  
"Did I just..."  
  
"Yeah, you did. I surrender. Link, you did it!"  
  
"Yeah, but how?" I gape at him. How in the world did I know to do that?  
  
"I don't know, but it worked! That's amazing! All you need now is to be able to do that without getting worked up into a rage."

============

It's after dinner, and somehow Zelda convinced me to try again with the ocarina. I'm not sure how it works, exactly, but Zelda's determined to teach me. She's out of her mind if she thinks I'll ever get how to play this stupid thing.  
  
"It's simple, really. You're just blowing too hard."  
  
Simple? Yeah. Right. "It's a little more complex to those of us who've never even seen an ocarina, let alone tried to play one."  
  
I try blowing into it again, but all that comes out is a very loud squeak. I cover my ears again. Everything seems louder in Hyrule.  
  
"No, Link, don't blow so hard. Just a little air. Like this." She takes the ocarina from me, and blows softly into it. It doesn't squeak. There's no way I'll be able to do that.  
  
"Just blow into it softly." She hands it back to me, and I try it. A soft, pleasing note emerges from the instrument.  
  
"That's not bad! Cover all of the holes and try it again."  
  
I try and cover all the holes, but my fingers are too clumsy, and it shoots out of them and into my lap.  
  
"Oops." I reach to pick it up, but Zelda gets it first.  
  
"Let me show you." She places her fingers delicately over the instrument, and blows a soft, sweet note. "You try." I take it back from her, and mimic her movements. I just manage to get a note like hers out before my finger slips and it lets out a loud squeal. Once again, I have to cover my ears. Zelda's doing the same. She smiles at me.  
  
"Better than your first time," she says. I smile. "Try again."  
  
I try, and manage to hold the note. "Good! You've got the basics down, so it won't be long before you're playing like a pro. Just keep practicing." I look at her. Basics? They must be very basic.  
  
"Thank you. It's so nice of you to be doing all this for me. I don't know where I'd be without you."  
  
"Don't worry about it. I wouldn't have left you on your own. Now, you'd better rest if you don't want to fall over again during training tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah." I'm not thinking about training though. I'm thinking about the offer to join that brotherhood thing. At the rate I'm going, I'll probably never get in. "Well, see you in the morning." I go to hand her the ocarina, but she pushes my hand back toward me.  
  
"It's yours now. Keep it." She looks at me. "It's yours by right anyway."  
  
"It's pretty. Thank you! But what do you mean, it's mine by right?" I ask.  
  
"It belongs to the Hero of Time. It's the Ocarina of Time."  
  
The Ocarina of Time... So that's what it is...  
  
"Take good care of it." 


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Okay, I'm really sorry about the long wait. It's my fault. I'm a procrastinator. (If you don't know what that means, look it up.) I'm starting to see a love/hate relationship with this story. I like the characterization, but the plot isn't what it should be. And so I love it and I hate it. And therefore put off posting it. And you suffer because of it. So... if this happens again, don't hesitate to tell me to get off of my lazy behind and post another chapter or two. I'll try to get regular again, but now that school's started, I also have other things on my mind, and stories often are given up in favor of homework.

In other news, Insanity! is on hiatus until realizes that script fics aren't as evil as they seem, but until that point, I don't want to draw attention to it, and it's doing no harm sitting there. So read it over and over again, and if you ask nicely and review all of my other stories, I might just email you the next chapter in advance. Maybe.

So, without further ado, I give you...

Chapter 6

I'm in the training room again. Somehow, I'm still not sure how, Zelda managed to get me off my lazy backside and come to training again. Every inch of my body screams in protest, but I have to train if I want in the brotherhood.

"You're doing much better Link. Put some strength behind your swings."

"What strength? I'm on the verge of collapse here!"

He smiles. "All right, we'll take a break." He walks over to lean against the wall, but suddenly my vision becomes cloudy...

"Link! Are you alright?" he's shouting at me. I stumble backwards, just barely able to catch myself. My vision swims, and I try and take a step, but I can't seem to tell the rest of my body what to do. I can't hold myself up anymore. I faint.

-----

I'm floating in darkness. Voices whisper around me. A sudden wave of de-ja-vu overtakes me. This is just like when

I was floating in the void between the Sacred Realm and Hyrule. I know now what lies on the other side. Suddenly, a sinister voice whispers to me.

"I see you, Hero. You can't hide from me."

Talk about sick and wrong.

"I know who you are! You will never overtake me!" I shout back at him.

Sinister laughter fills my ears. I wish I could block out his voice, but it seems to be coming from within my own head.

"Foolish child. You will see... In time, you will learn. No one can overcome me. I am all-powerful!"

He laughs at me again. I just wish I could get him to shut up.

"You're wrong." I try and sound as convincing as possible, because I'm shaking with fear on the inside.

"I am?" he asks sarcastically.

"Yes. You're wrong." I'm starting to feel better. "The Hero of Time will be your downfall."

"No one can overcome me," he says, but I'm surprised to hear he doesn't sound so confident anymore.

"Don't be so sure about that."

The darkness starts to fade, and I can feel myself waking...

-----

"Link! Are you all right?" My trainer's standing over me, clearly worried.

"Just a little dizzy," I lie. My whole body feels as if it's on fire. I try to sit up, but the dizzy feeling increases, and I stop. My trainer puts a hand to my forehead.

"You feel feverish. Perhaps we should stop." He looks at me, worry filling his gaze.

"Yeah, I probably shouldn't be training right now. I think I'll just take a nap." I try to sit up again, but I'm still too dizzy.

"You need some help?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate that." He helps me up, and we slowly make our way back to the room I'm staying in, me leaning on him the whole way. I get lots of curious stares, but I'm too out of it to care. We get to my room, and I sit on the bed, feeling like I could sleep all the way through the rest of the week and still feel awful. Just as I sit down, Zelda rushes in.

"Link! Are you okay? You look awful! Lie down, you need to rest. I'll call the nurse up here; she can have a look at you. Oh, Link! I'll hurry back, I promise!"

My trainer and I stare at each other, and then burst out laughing.

"How does she have so much energy?"

"I'm not sure, but she puts it to good use!"

I lay back, enjoying the comfort of the bed. "At least this gets me out of practice. I just hope I feel well enough for tonight."

My trainer stares at me. "What's tonight?"

"I met this group of swordsmen who want me to join them. They're inviting me to practice an hour after dinner. I want to give them my best performance, and I need to be in top condition for that."

My trainer's giving me a funny look. "Link, I don't want you to get involved with these people."

"Why not? They seem alright."

"I got involved with them a little while ago, and it was fun for a while, but they expect you to do stuff, like homicides, and you can't back out of it. Once you join, you're in it for life, and don't try and tell them any different, or you'll find yourself at the bottom of Lake Hylia." He's looking at me, trying to judge if I believe him. I don't.

"They were nice enough when I met them. They offered to teach me how to fight."

"Isn't that what I'm trying to do? Do you really need them?" I look at him critically, studying his face.

"You have to believe me. I've heard nothing but evil rumors about these guys lately. It's even rumored that they're trying to pave the way for Ganon's return!"

"Do you have such little faith in my judgment? I think I know an evil person when I see one." I turn over with some difficulty. "I'm going to sleep now. I'd appreciate it if you left me be."

"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

-----

A Brief Interlude

"Don't worry about him. He'll see the right choice in the end." Zelda told Link's nervous trainer.

"That's what I'm worried about, that he'll see it when it's already the end of him. He needs to choose correctly now, so it doesn't get him into trouble later," he argued.

"Yes, but you're forgetting that he's only an eighteen year old teen. Don't try to tell him anything, he'll ignore it with all the willpower he has."

They stood watching as the obstinate Hero slept. They had been arguing for almost half an hour.

"Even if he is, he needs to make the right choice. It could be the end of him if he doesn't."

"Just don't try to force it on him. He needs to at least think he made the choice himself."

"How do you know so much about him?"

"He's just like me."

-----

I awake to find Zelda standing over me. "How are you feeling?" she asks.

"I feel like I just got run over by a pack of horses." She laughs.

"At least you're well enough to joke. That's a good sign." She smiles down on me, and in that moment, she looks just as I would picture an angel.

"When's dinner?" I ask.

"Men. All they can think about is their stomachs. Dinner's in an hour."

I laugh, but regret it, as I instantly go into a coughing fit.

"Link!" Zelda looks at me, panic registering in her eyes. "Link! Are you okay?"

I smile up at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to rest."

"Here, drink this." She hands me a small vial containing a deep blue liquid. As I drink it, warmth flows through my body, energizing me and taking all of my soreness away. A wave of sleep blankets all of my senses, and I fall back onto the bed...

-----

"Link..." A voice calls to me out of the darkness...

"Link... Link, wake up!"

Someone's calling me... Who is it?

"Link, wake up! Someone's here to see you!"

It's Zelda, she's calling me, but who's here to see me? A new, softer, higher-pitched voice calls to me.

"Link! Hey! Get up! Can Hyrule's destiny really depend on such a lazy boy?"

Where have I heard that before? I try to sit up, but give a small gasp and lie back down. The medicine must have worn off.

Zelda gasps. "Link!" I can barely hear her. What's wrong with me to make me this weak? I'm swimming in and out of consciousness, catching bits and pieces of conversation. Zelda's calling me. She wants me to take some more of that medicine. I try to hold the bottle, but I'm shaking too hard. Why is it so cold in here? The potion slides down my throat, the familiar warm feeling little comfort to me. Just before I lose consciousness again, I hear laughter.

Horrible, sinister, evil laughter. The laughter of Ganondorf.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

I'm sitting up in my bed, trying to find out what's wrong with me. Zelda's in the corner, looking like she might be sick herself. She's way too worried about me. Her nurse is trying to figure out what ails me.

"Now, when was it you first felt sick?"

"During training. I felt weak then, and I fainted."

"Were you feeling well before you came here?"

"Yes."

"What exactly hurts?"

"Everything, but I think my head hurts the most. I feel dizzy every time I try to sit up."

The nurse looks at Zelda. I get the distinct feeling there's something they're not telling me.

"Anything else you think you should tell us?"

I rack my brain, trying to think of something. "Actually, there is. The first time I passed out, I had an interesting dream, or at least I think I was dreaming. I felt like I was floating between dimensions again, and I heard Ganondorf's voice." Zelda and the nurse share a look. "Why? What's going on that you're not telling me?"

"Link..." Zelda looks near tears. That's not a good sign. "Link..." she tries again, but she can't seem to find the words. Her nurse solves the problem.

"You've been cursed." Zelda breaks down crying. If I had any emotion left in me, I'd probably cry too.

"Can it be lifted?" I ask, though I'm afraid to know the answer.

Zelda has composed herself, and is looking at me with red eyes. "It can be done, but it'll be difficult. I'm not sure if we can pull it off." She suddenly runs over to me and starts hugging me fiercely. "Link... I'm not going to let anything happen to you, not if I can help it." I can't think of what to say, so I hug her back. We stay like this for a good five minutes, her crying on my shoulder, and me trying to be strong for her. I don't really care what happens to me. I just want her to be happy again. Zelda removes herself from my shoulder.

"It's risky, but I think it's worth the risk. Of course, I can't really do anything without your permission."

"What's the plan?"

-----

A Brief Interlude

She looked down on the city from her vantage point on Death Mountain. Even from there, she could tell it was full of life and people. She sensed the growing tension coming from there, though. Something wasn't quite right...

A noise came from behind her. She turned around quickly, prepared for a fight if need be, but she needn't have worried. It was merely her brother.

"Would you quit sneaking up behind me? It won't do to have you scaring me senseless every five minutes."

Her brother shook his head. "You're not scared, just proud. You don't like it that you can't hear me coming up behind you."

The girl studied him for a moment. She wasn't sure, but it almost seemed as though the hold she had on her unpredictable and often unstable brother was breaking. But there wasn't time to worry about that now.

She turned back around. She needed to focus all of her energy into the town.

"What are you doing, anyway?" She didn't answer right away. She was trying to keep her connection with the cursed Hero...

-----

I'm dying. I'm slowly wasting away to nothing, and the only hope I have lies with Zelda. I know she's doing her best, but even her best doesn't seem to be working. We need someone stronger...

Another surge of energy hits me, and I jerk my head back, hitting it on the backboard. I'm used to it by now, though. It's happened about every five minutes. Zelda's been trying to send her energy into me, but it's just not working. It's really taking a toll on her, though...

"Zelda, you need to stop. You're going to kill yourself!" I can see that she's definitely tired, but she's too stubborn to admit it.

"I'm fine! You're the one that needs help!" she snaps at me.

"Zelda! You need to get the sages. They can help you!"

The sages were here a while ago. Zelda sent them off to search for Ganondorf, while she stayed here to try and hold off the curse. I want to help, but I really don't know how...

Suddenly, I feel the tension lifting from my body. One of three things has happened. Either Zelda's not sending her energy into me, the sages have found Ganondorf, or I'm losing consciousness. I don't doubt it's all three. I'm able to rule out unconsciousness by the fact that I'm still awake, and by the way Zelda's smiling, something good must have happened. I'm betting the sages found Ganondorf...

"Link... It's okay now... You can relax... The curse has been lifted..." The rest of her words fall on deaf ears... I pass out.

-----

"Link! Get up!" Someone's shaking me awake. I look up, half expecting to see Jen, but instead I see Zelda. She's looking at me with worried eyes.

"Whaddya want?" I ask thickly.

"There's someone here to see you."

I look around. "We're the only ones in the room. Where are they?"

She holds out her hand, and there's a tiny fairy sitting in it.

"A fairy?" I ask, still half asleep.

"Not just any fairy. This is Navi, the fairy to the first Hero of Time."

I stare at her. "You're not serious." I remember her vaguely from when I played Zelda 64. She annoyed the living daylights out of me.

"Thanks. I can tell we're going to have a wonderful time together." She looks at me. I never knew what she looked like until now. She's got short, spiked blue hair, and an attitude just like mine. She's right. I'm gonna love her.

"So you're my fairy partner?" I ask.

"Yes. I get to follow you around and make sure you don't kill yourself."

Lovely.

"So, the curse has been lifted?" I ask. Zelda smiles. It's a sad smile.

"Yes, but not because the sages found Ganon. I'm not sure why he decided to lift the curse, but it would seem that's what happened."

"Are you okay? You weren't doing so well when you were trying to counteract the curse."

She smiles, looking relieved. "I'm fine, but I was worried about you. I need not have been. I should have known you were strong enough to survive a curse like that, but you gave us quite a scare, losing consciousness like you did."

I look at her. She's so worried about me. "It is strange... I mean, why would Ganon suddenly decide to lift a curse off of someone? It's not like him." I try sitting up, expecting to be dizzy, but I feel fine. I stand. I don't feel dizzy at all. I tell Zelda as much.

"That's good. You're just in time to catch dinner," she says.

"Good, 'cause I'm hungry."

-----

It's after dinner. I'm trying to find my way to the courtyard, thinking all the while about what my trainer was saying. I'm having second thoughts. I probably should turn back, but I don't know if he's telling the truth. Guess I'll find out sooner or later. I turn around, looking back at the way I've come. I'm lost. I still don't know my way around this stupid huge castle. How am I supposed to? It's way too enormous. I doubt even Zelda knows about all of the rooms in it. I look around, hoping to spot something that looks remotely like a courtyard. I don't see anything, but I'm spared the job of finding my way back when someone grabs my shoulder. I spin quickly around, and see the guy that offered to take me into the brotherhood.

"You're late." What a welcome.

"I, er, got held up."

"I heard. You in good enough shape to practice?"

"I suppose so." I still don't feel excessively well, but I'm well enough to practice.

"Come on then." We walk toward a well-hidden door in the wall. Why didn't I notice that before? As we walk into the courtyard, I notice there's only one other person there.

"Where is everyone?"

"What do you mean, kid?"

"Everyone else in the brotherhood." This is looking suspicious. Shouldn't everyone be here?

"Why should everyone else trouble to come? You only need one person to train you."

"Then who's that?" I say, pointing to the other person in the courtyard.

"That's who's going to train you. Came all the way from Kakariko, too, just to meet you."

A voice issues from under the cloaked figure. "I didn't come just to meet him. I came to make him more than just a clumsy kid." The voice is very muffled. I can't really see the person, either.

"Fine, fine, don't bite my head off. I just thought, well, never mind what I thought. Get on with it. I'll supervise to make sure you're doing it right."

I look at the cloaked figure. All I can see is a pair of cold, gray eyes. For a moment I falter. Whoever it is must see my fear, because they laugh. It's a cold, cruel sound, and I cringe. "Don't worry, kid. I'm not gonna hurt ya." I try and swallow my fear, because I don't believe a word of what he just said.

"First, if you didn't know already, you acknowledge your partner, usually done with a bow." We both bow. "Okay, I'm gonna come at ya, and I want you to block it with your sword. Shields are clumsy and heavy, and you never know if you're gonna have one, so it's best to know how to do this." I raise my sword clumsily, and he laughs at me again. "No, that's not gonna work. Like this." The swordsman raises his sword, keeping it level with the ground, about the height of his head. "You try." I mimic this movement, and he brings his own sword crashing onto mine, sending shockwaves through my arm. It's not as bad as when I was doing it wrong, though. Feeling quickly returns to my arm, and I regain my edge. I shift my weight backwards slightly, breaking the hold he's got on my sword. I then try to flick the sword out of the swordsman's hand, like I did with my other trainer, but it doesn't quite work. He pushes back, and I try another strategy. I swing my sword around in a complete circle, and bring it crashing on top of my competitor's. The swordsman has to reverse the force quickly, and only just catches it. I smile, but in the small amount of time that I let my guard drop, he's pushed my sword down, and in a grand show of talent, has flicked it out of my hand.

"Don't get arrogant. If you let your guard down for just a moment, the enemy will know." He tosses me back my sword. "Now, swing at me, and put your body behind it." I try to do this, but he swings back and forces my sword back toward me. The sudden change of direction catches me off guard, and I fall on my back. I thought I was finished with falling. I look up, surprised. He's got his blade pointed at me. "This is the part where I win."

A sudden idea pricks at the edge of my brain. It takes me all of two seconds to form a plan. I roll over on the ground and jump up again. He has to change sword position quickly to block me, but he's not quite quick enough. I catch my sword underneath his, very close to the hilt, and push upward. I just manage to break the hold he has on it. I use the same maneuver that I used on my other trainer to flick his sword into the air, and I once again catch it as it comes down.

"Not bad, not bad." He's looking at me. I can feel his piercing gaze. It's enough to send shivers down my spine. I get the distinct feeling that he could finish me off if he wanted to. I shake off the feeling, and hand him back his sword. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I pulled that one on my other trainer. Caught him off guard." I look at him. If I look hard enough, I can almost see the amusement in his eyes...

"Yes, very well done. Very well done." I'm starting to wonder if this guy can say a sentence just once. He's looking at me funny, like he doesn't want me here. It's not hostile. It's friendly, or at least as friendly as this guy can manage. "I'd say we're about done for the day. Same place, same time tomorrow." The guy that invited me in the first place looks at him in alarm.

"What, that's it? You're not doing anything else today? Why stop? He obviously needs it."

I glare at him. "I do not," I mutter.

"No, I think this is quite enough until next time." He's suddenly all business. "I have places to be and people to see. No use waiting here any longer. Tomorrow, and be there, because I don't like to wait for nothing."

"I'll be there. I just hope you'll be there." I turn away and walk back into the castle. I'm wondering if this was such a good idea. These guys are like the Mafia. I'm starting to regret not listening to my trainer. I've just started down the hallway, when a hand grabs me from behind. I turn around, surprised to see the guy I was fighting. Or at least I thought it was a guy. The hood on the cloak is off, and I can see clearly it's a girl. "Is there something you need?" I ask.

"Yes. I need you to not come to the courtyard tomorrow." I'm caught by surprise by this statement.

"But you said-"

"I know what I said. It's just a front. Don't come. I mean it. You don't want to get caught up with these guys. They're bad news. Stop before you're too far in." She's looking at me, and I see the first sign of warmth in her gray eyes. "Take my word for it. The only reason I'm still involved with these people is that spineless worm of a leader we have. It's my job to get rid of him." I'm gonna guess and say that the 'spineless worm of a leader' is the guy that offered me the position in the first place. She starts to turn around, but a look of surprise and pain comes over her face. She stumbles, and I notice there's an arrow protruding from her back. I look over and see the leader of their group, holding a crossbow pointed at us.

"So that _was_ an assassin. That's how we deal with people like her." She gives a small groan in my arms. He aims at her to shoot another arrow, but I leap in front of her.

"Don't even think about it." I draw my sword, forgetting for a moment that, besides the fact that I have no idea how to handle a sword, it's edges are too dull to cause any real harm. I stand protectively in front of her.

"Move out of the way, boy." He tries to aim at her, but with a surge of adrenaline, I rush him. I somehow manage to overpower him, driving him to the floor. He looks up at me, surprised.

"You truly are the great Hero. I see it in your eyes. Let me up, and I promise I won't hurt her."

"Why should I believe you?" I ask him, anger pounding in my veins.

"Because I can still fire my crossbow, and on top of me is not the wisest place to be."


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Well... Chapter 8. Here it is at last. But before I let you read it, I'd like to have a few words.

For the past three chapters, I have gotten zero reviews. None. Nada. I'm not saying that I have to get ten reviews a chapter, but _one_ would be nice, people! If I don't get any reviews, I'll think that no one wants to read this and I'll take it down.

With that said, I'd like to start a new policy.

If you've read the chapter, send me a review with the word "bump" in it. That's it. B-U-M-P. Simple, no? You don't have to be a member; I accept anonymous reviews. You don't even have to put your real name, any symbol or letter or number will do. All I ask, though, is for some kind of acknowledgement that this story is being read. If you want to put a comment on the text, feel free. But if you can't think of anything to say, then just type the simple word above. I need to know if this has an audience. If there is no audience, it becomes pointless for this to stay up.

I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt one last time. For the past couple chapters, I've updated on a weekday. I haven't been very regular about updating either. But now you have no excuse. You have all weekend to get your reviews out. Now that that's out of the way, let the chapter commence.

Chapter 8

I'm running very fast. After I realized that the leader of the swordsmen could put me out of business for good, I high-tailed it out of there, dragging the girl along for the ride.

I try and lose him through all of the twists and turns of the castle, but with the extra weight of the girl, it's just not happening. He's still on our tail, and closing the gap quickly. Any minute now he'll be within firing range. This point is emphasized by an arrow whizzing by my leg. I put on an extra burst of speed. I don't care where I'm going, as long as it's away from him.

Another arrow flies by my side, and I realize we're probably not going to make it. I put this thought out of my head, and run as fast as I can. I can see the main hallway from here, just a little ways away from where I am. As I desperately try to outrun our pursuer, I try to think of which way it is to the infirmary. I decide to run left. I turn the corner, not slowing down, and run smack dab into someone. I look and see it's the princess.

"Run!" I shout, looking over my shoulder. She decides to take my advice, and we both set off at hyper-speed down the hallway. I look over my shoulder to see that no one's following us. I stop to catch my breath. Bad move. As I start walking again, I feel something bite into my leg. I look behind me, and see the guy aiming another arrow at me from the safety of the last hallway. I break into a run again, but I'm hindered by the biting pain in my shin. I pull level with Zelda, and she looks at my leg. I see her come to a quick decision. She leans over and yanks the arrow out of my leg. I almost cry out, but hold it in, and we finally make it to the infirmary. The nurse takes one look at us, and takes the girl out of my hands, getting to work trying to save her. I collapse into the nearest chair.

"Link, what happened back there?" I don't react to her calling me Link anymore. "Guy, fired arrow her, ran, saw you, got here." Zelda gives me time to overcome my shock so I can speak in coherent sentences.

"Now, try that again."

"There was this guy. He's the guy that leads the brotherhood of swordsmen."

"Link! I thought we told you not to see him!"

"Too bad. I did anyway. This girl was the one supposed to train me. It turned out she's an assassin sent to kill him. He overheard her telling me, and shot her with an arrow. I charged him, and managed to knock him over, buying us time to get out of there. I ran, carrying her, and tried to lose him in this gaping monstrosity you call Hyrule Castle. I finally made it to the main hall when I saw you. Then we ran all the way here."

She holds up the arrow she pulled out of my leg. "Where does this fit into the equation?"

"I stopped to catch my breath in the main hallway, and he shot my leg."

"Link, I don't want to hold you back from what you feel you need to do, but I'd really rather you not get involved with these people. They seem a bad lot."

"I won't, Zelda. I've learned my lesson."

"Let's hope." She pulls a chair up in front of me, with a bandage in her hand. "Now, on to more important matters. Give me your leg for a moment."

"Oh no you don't. You're not coming anywhere near me with that." I start to stand up, but Zelda pushes me back into my chair.

"Don't be silly. We have to dress the wound. Now, let me see your leg."

"No."

"Come on, Link! We don't have time for this!"

"I won't!"

"Don't make me order you!"

I stubbornly wrap my legs around the chair legs. "Just try it."

She sighs. Good. She's not coming near me with that bandage. "I suppose we could just let it get infected and fall off." She smiles at me.

"Fine! But be careful," I say. She hands me something to drink.

"If you're going to be such a baby about it, then go to sleep." I drink the potion and immediately feel very tired...

I'm lying awake in a bed in the infirmary. There's someone sitting asleep in the chair next to me. I wonder what time it is? I look out the window. It's still very dark outside. It must be night still. I look over at the person in the chair, expecting to see Zelda, but I see the girl I saved instead. She had a rough time of it, but she looks pretty good considering. I sit up. I feel fine, really. I quietly get out of bed, testing my weight on my leg. It feels fine. Whatever Zelda did to it, she did a good job. I gently lift the sleeping girl out of the chair, and put her in the bed I had been sleeping in. I lean over her. I hope she survives. She opens her eyes slightly.

"Who-"

"Shhh. Don't try to talk." I pull the blankets around her. "Comfy?" She nods. "Good." I sit in the chair, and watch her fall back asleep. I then blush, thinking about Zelda, and what she might think if she knew that I was watching other girls fall asleep. She'd probably tease the living daylights out of me. I look back at the girl, recounting the events of the day. If I concentrate hard enough, it doesn't all seem like a blur. No, I take that back. It's all still a blur, no matter how hard I concentrate. I definitely know that I shouldn't hang around that brotherhood thing now. I should've listened the first time. But I didn't, and it got someone in trouble. On the other hand, the guy probably would've found out anyway, and things may have been worse for the girl. And I might've never met her. I wonder who she is...

I look around me, surprised that it's light in the room. I must have dozed off some time in the night. I look over at the girl, and am surprised to see that she's looking back.

"About time you woke up." I stare at her. She doesn't look like she took an arrow in the back at all. Her dark black hair cascades over her shoulders, and she looks at me with warmth in those normally cold, gray eyes.

"How long have you been waiting for me?" I ask.

"A while now. You sleep like a rock!" she says.

"No she hasn't," says a voice from across the room. It's Zelda. "She's only been awake for about five minutes."

I distinctly hear the girl mutter spoilsport.

"Well, what time is it then?" I ask.

"Time for breakfast," answers Zelda.

"No, first, we have to find out who our unexpected visitor is." I want to know who this girl is.

"I'm Mellie, a Sheikah sorceress." She looks at me. "And you've repaid your debt."

I give a start. "Back up. What did I owe you?"

"I saved your life." She's staring at me like I should know this.

"When did you save my life? I think I would remember something like that."

"When you were lying cursed in your bedroom. I lent you some of my energy, and used the counter curse to break Ganon's hold on you."

I stare at her. "I'll take your word for it."

Zelda smiles from across the room. "It certainly would explain a lot of things, like why the curse was suddenly lifted, and it ensures that she's on our side. You are on our side, right?"

Mellie nods. "What's for breakfast, Princess?"

As Zelda starts telling Mellie about several things, which include breakfast and my quest, I drift off into a daydream. I really miss my home, but I think I'm getting used to staying here. I've finally managed to learn the route from my bedroom to the great hall. I watch Zelda and Mellie, both arguing about something. I think Mellie wants to come with me. I don't mind. The more people around me that know how to use a sword the better. I watch as Mellie focuses on her hand for a moment, and am amazed that a shining sphere of light appears there. She tosses it up into the air, muttering some words under her breath, and it disappears in midair. I clap.

"Thanks. It's really a simple spell. I could teach it to you if you like," she says modestly.

"That's okay. I've got enough things to learn already."

Zelda looks at me like she doesn't want to say what she's thinking. "Speaking of which, the Gerudo have offered to teach you the art of horseback archery. They should be arriving here tomorrow."

Great. Like I need another thing to learn. "Well, I'm going down to breakfast. You two coming?"

Mellie gets up right away. "I'm starved! I've always wondered what the castle food is like."

Zelda laughs, and stands as well. Zelda and Mellie talk as we go to breakfast. I lag behind, keeping them in sight. I still don't know my way around the castle. As we walk into the great hall, I'm immediately assaulted by the wonderful smells of breakfast. I'm so glad they don't usually serve oatmeal here.

"Come on guys. Let's get seats before they all fill up." I walk to the table, and we sit down, Zelda in the middle. Zelda and Mellie are talking again. Girls. They never seem to shut up. I lose myself in the delicious smells of breakfast, and soon I'm daydreaming again...

"Beat that!" Zelda's just changed her appearance with a snap of her fingers. She looks like my sister. Her hair's red, and she's wearing earth clothes. The girls are having a contest of sorts. It's more like showing off in front of me. Mellie's already done some pretty impressive stuff, like she summoned a fairy spirit, and made it fly around my room. Navi liked that. She's taken to hiding under my hat, only coming out when something cool is going on. Zelda turned herself invisible, and snuck up behind me and stole my hat. I only complemented her once she gave it back. Mellie's just surrounded herself with a shield of fire.

"Ha! I'd like to see something more impressive than that."

"Give me a minute." Zelda's concentrating hard. I wonder what she's doing. Mellie looks over at me, and gasps.

"Where'd he go?" she exclaims. I look down at me, and am surprised to see, well, nothing. Zelda's turned me invisible!

"ZELDA! Change me back! NOW!" Zelda looks at Mellie and bursts out laughing. After a while, Mellie does the same. I'm standing there in a rage.

"Zelda! I'm gonna get you for this! You change me back right now, or I'll... I'll..."

Zelda stops laughing for a second. "What'll you do, Link?"

"I'll, um, go through your underwear drawer!"

Zelda looks petrified. "You wouldn't."

"Try me." I run to the door, open it, and slam it shut again. Zelda looks horrified. She recovers and runs out of the room, screaming at me that she'll skin me alive if I try it. Mellie's there, helpless with laughter on the floor. I look down, and can see myself again. Zelda comes back in, looking like she really could skin me alive. Mellie just laughs harder. Zelda's absolutely livid.

"LINK! THAT ISN'T FUNNY! DON'T YOU EVER, EVER TRY THAT AGAIN!" Zelda's screaming at me at the top of her lungs, and Mellie's laughing with all of her heart. It's very loud right now. I've got my fingers in my ears, but Zelda just takes that as a sign of my trying to ignore her, which is partly true, and storms out of the room, her face scarlet. Mellie looks up at me, trying to catch her breath.

"You two... You're hilarious... I've never... seen anyone... fight like that... You really... drive her crazy..."

"No I don't. She knows she loves me." I smile and resume my seat on the bed. "So, can you beat turning me invisible?"

Mellie smiles. "Of course I can." She concentrates very hard, and bites her upper lip. At first I think she's just concentrating, but when she holds her stomach and bends over, I realize she's in pain.

"Mellie!" I rush over to her, and make the mistake of putting my hand on her shoulder. A surge of magic flows through my hand, and I jerk it away. Mellie's glaring at me for some reason.

"What? What'd I do?" I ask. She continues to glare at me, and goes to sit on my bed.

"You broke my concentration." I look puzzled.

"But you looked like something was wrong."

"It always affects me like that." She mutters something under her breath, and glares at me again.

"You act like it's my fault."

"It is." She turns away from me.

"What were you doing anyway?"

"The locator spell." She catches my puzzled look and elaborates. "It's for trying to find someone."

"Oh. Who were you trying to find?"

She doesn't look at me for a while. After a time, she speaks. "Beware the Gerudo tomorrow."

"Why? That still doesn't answer who you were trying to find."

"Just take my word for it."

I turn around, realizing that I'm not gonna get a straight answer out of Mellie. As I walk down the hall to Zelda's room to apologize, Mellie's warning repeats in my head. 'Beware the Gerudo...'


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I got a review for my last chapter! That means you guys get another chance! But don't think that now that I have that review, you're allowed to get lazy again. If I don't get at least one review on this, I'll get dispirited again. From now on, I'll try to update on the weekends, but I just can't promise that everything will go as planned. (Like I have plans on Sunday to hang out with my friend, and I'm missing homecoming to write this... not that I wanted to go, but it makes a good example.) And one review is a bit depressing, after a while. Oh, sure, when I first got it, I was ecstatic. There was actually someone reading my story! But I'd rather have a lot of them. Wouldn't you?

Okay, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to RebelX, the reviewer who kept my hopes up while on this story. See, someone out there thinks that it's not trash.

A warning for this chapter: lots of fluff. If that annoys you, turn back now. But nothing _too_ major, and there's a bit of excitement after the next bit. You'll get to see what I have christened "The Mellie Chapters." Don't worry, this is a short chapter.

Chapter 9

_I'm running very fast. I turn to watch my pursuer, and am surprised to see Mellie running behind me. It should be the leader of the brotherhood. I look again, and realize that it's not Mellie, but a boy who looks like her. I turn a corner, and run into Zelda. Or is it Navi? I can't quite tell... I turn around, and the boy who looks like Mellie fires an arrow into my leg. I watch as a thick, green substance oozes out. It kind of looks like green oatmeal... I watch as Zelda, or Navi, who looks like Mellie now, runs along beside me. I'm carrying my sister on my back, who jumps off and says promptly to Mellie, "Beat that!" I look at the boy who looks like Mellie. He's aiming at the two girls, who have stopped to have a magic competition. They don't see him. I run toward him, and manage to rush him. I'm sitting on top of him, but he aims the crossbow that he's somehow still holding at me, and shoots an arrow through my middle. He dumps me off of him, and advances on the two girls, leaving me to lie dying in my own fluids..._

I awake with a start. I'm drenched in cold sweat. I look out of my window. It's still the middle of the night. I think about my very strange dream, and the boy that looked like Mellie. He had the same cold, uncaring, gray eyes. I shiver. No, Mellie's eyes aren't like that at all. They're warm and alive when she wants them to be, and she's been deciding to be warm and alive a lot lately. No, his eyes weren't like Mellie's. I think he was the only part of the dream that even remotely made sense. I get up, and walk out of the room. The castle's practically deserted. I wander the halls, looking up at murals on the wall. There's one of Zelda, and there's one of all the races of Hyrule. I stop at a particularly large mural. It takes me a while to really see it. It's a mural of the sages, Zelda included, and they're standing in a circle. It's not them that catch my eye, though. I'm looking at what's inside the circle. It's a picture of me fighting Ganondorf.

_I lived this..._

Something sparks at the back of my mind, but it's gone before I can think about it. It's immediately replaced by a much clearer thought.

_I have to do this again... I have to play the hero again..._

I look around. In the middle of the room, there's a statue of me, holding the Master Sword in the air. I smile inwardly. I have a statue. My sister would be so jealous. My sister...

I hear footsteps from behind me. Whoever it is doesn't realize that I'm here. I hear a voice singing. It's sweet, like a breeze on a summer day.

"When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears, And I've held your hand through all of these years, But you still have all of me,"

I try to get a better view of whoever's singing. I look across the room, but whoever is singing doesn't see me.

"You used to captivate me, With your resonating light, But now I'm bound by the life you left behind, Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams, Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me,"

I listen, mesmerized by the beautiful voice. I try to see whom it is singing, but they continue to stay in the shadows.

"These wounds won't seem to heal, This pain is just too real, There's just too much that time cannot erase,"

I listen as they sing, absolutely lost for words. Then I recognize the song. They sing the chorus again.

"When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears, When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears, And I've held your hand through all of these years, But you still have-"

"All of me," I finish the song, and they gasp.

"Who's there?" I recognize the voice at once.

"It's just me, Princess." She steps out of the shadows.

"Oh, Link, you scared me. I didn't think anyone would be here at this hour. What are you doing up anyway?"

"Couldn't sleep." I choose not to tell her about the nightmare.

"Same." She looks around the room. "Funny that we should both wander here, of all places."

"Really." I look around the room, and at all the murals, depicting the epic battle between good and evil. I sigh.

"Link? Is something the matter?" Zelda asks.

I sigh again. How am I supposed to tell her? "Zelda..." I stop. There's no way she'll understand. "I'm going to bed." It's a lie. There's no way that I'm going to get to sleep again tonight.

"You can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

I look at her. "Zelda... I want to go home." There, I said it.

She looks surprised. No wonder. I'll bet she wasn't expecting that.

"I should've known you'd want to go home. It's wrong of me to keep you here. I just, well, it's your decision." She's suddenly very diplomatic. "Well then. I'll have to contact the sages in the morning. We have no choice but to send you back if you want to go." She's looking at me like she can't decide whether to kick me or just ignore me. She seems to choose the latter. Too bad. I'm not gonna let her ignore me.

"Princess?" She turns around, and looks at me like she detests me. I give a start. I wasn't expecting this.

"Yes? What do you want?" She makes no effort to keep the bitterness out of her voice. I'm stung by her words. I don't say anything. I think it's safer that way. Tears of hate and bitterness roll down her cheeks, and I want to comfort her, to let her know that it'll be okay. Only I know it won't be.

"If you don't need anything else, then I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning." The hate is plain in her words. She hates me...

I stand in the hallway, watching her walk away, and that thought runs through my head.

_She hates me..._

_-----------_

A Very Brief Interlude

She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. _'How could he do this?'_ she thought. _'He's doomed us to a fate worse than death. He's just guaranteed Hyrule's destruction.'_ She marched back to her bedroom. She felt as though her stomach had been turned inside out. _'And to think that I loved him...'_

_-----------_

I'm walking in the castle grounds. I don't know why I'm out here in the freezing cold. It's nothing compared to the empty feeling in my stomach, though. She hates me...

I march to the market. It's very deserted. I look to my left, and see the Temple of Time looming up in the distance. I think about my quest. Hyrule's fate lay in my hands. I've just cast all of that aside because I miss my family. She has a reason to hate me...

I think about my family. I really miss them. And who's to say that Ganon will be satisfied with Hyrule? He could come after earth next.

I don't want her to hate me...

Ganon. This all comes down to him. It's his fault that I'm here and not with my family. It's his fault that Zelda hates me. It's his fault that my life is a living hell. I'm absently walking toward the entrance to the market. I know the bridge to Hyrule field will be up, but I don't care. I arrive there, and stare at the bridge, as though it's the bridge's fault. How am I supposed to get out of here now? I walk over to the wall, looking for some place to get through. A voice calls from behind me.

"Hey, kid. What are you doing?" I jump at the unexpected noise.

"Looking for a way out. Is there another way or something?" He gives me a strange look.

"What do you need to do at this hour anyway?"

"I just need out. I need to get somewhere." He looks at me like he's wondering if I'm telling the truth. He must decide I look trustworthy, because he walks over to let the bridge down.

"You'll never make it out there without a horse. Do you have one?" I look at him. He's right. I need a horse.

"No. I don't have one."

"Borrow mine. Go to Lon Lon and ask for one of theirs. I'll get mine tomorrow."

People around here sure are friendly. "Thanks! I appreciate it." He brings his horse out from around a corner I didn't notice before.

"Take good care of her."

"I will." I mount, wondering for a moment how to make it go, but I suddenly get a burst of insight from I don't know where, and dig my heels into the hindquarters. I ride off into the night, my destination unclear. _Here we go..._


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I'd just like to point out that the musical part at the end of this chapter is, in fact, true. I own an ocarina (a special made one that looks like the Ocarina of Time), and I know how to play it. I also know how to play the piano, so I know about other aspects of music too.

On another note, I didn't get reviews for last chapter. Now, I'm not going to rant at you, because I've decided to post this even if I don't get reviews. Why? Because you all suck! Bwahahahaa! Seriously, though, I realize that not everyone is going to like this story, and not everyone will know what to put in a review, and not everyone has time to read everything on ... So, what does this mean for you? I'm putting these chapters up whether I get reviews or not! (Though I'm still going to put them up on the weekend in the vain hope that I might actually get reviews....)

All right, I'll shut up now.

Chapter 10

It's nearly morning. I've been riding hard ever since I left the market. Hyrule is huge! It's not a day's ride, like in all the games. No, I've been riding for a good two hours, and I still can't see any sign of the ranch. I wonder if there's a Malon there. Wouldn't that be strange? I slow down. I need a break from all of this riding. The horse seems grateful too. We stop, and I lean against a tree, looking down on Hyrule from the hill I'm sitting on. It's so pretty. I watch as the sun comes up over the distant forest. The sight is absolutely breathtaking. The dew glitters as if the stars fell to the ground during the night. I find myself thinking about the fate of this beautiful land. For a moment, as I look out on the glistening morning, I realize that I am home. This is where I was meant to be. This is what I was meant to do. This is who I was meant to be...

Then the feeling fades, and I miss my family again. They're not even my family. I was switched at birth. I decide not to linger on this thought. I get up, and walk over to the horse. She's chewing merrily on the grass. Lucky horse. She doesn't have to worry about the fate of the world. She's just worried about the next time we stop. I mount again, and we start again at a slow trot. I look around me. I'm really hungry right now. I'd even eat oatmeal. I haven't had anything since dinner last night. I'll have to find something. I spur the horse on to higher speeds. She loves it. She probably hasn't been out in a while. If I squint really hard, I think I can see a shape on the horizon that might be Lon Lon Ranch. As we get closer, I realize it was a tree. We rise over a very large hill, and I get my first real glimpse of Hyrule. The sight once more takes my breath away. Everything here is beautiful. No, to call it beautiful wouldn't do it justice. There's not a word to describe it. Sappiness usually isn't my strong point, but for the first time, I realize that I can't let anything happen to this land. My home...

I can see the ranch, but I realize I still won't get there for a while. I'm thinking maybe a day at least. I hear another horse approaching from behind. I turn around to see Mellie coming up behind me.

"What are you doing here?" I'm surprised to see her.

"I'm making sure you don't get yourself killed. I brought someone with me."

"If it's Zelda, then I don't think she wants to see me right now." She holds out her hands, and a small glowing person flies out.

"No, though Zelda has every right to be mad at you. You're a stupid, careless ass and she should be mad at you."

"If I'm stupid and careless then why are you still coming near me?"

"Because even though you're stupid and careless, your heart's in the right place, and I know you'd never leave Hyrule to that fate. And since you are stupid and careless, someone's gotta make sure you don't get yourself killed."

I blink. Mellie doesn't hate me. Wow. I thought she'd take Zelda's side on this one. "So, where'd you get the horse?"

"This is my horse. I knew you'd get one from somewhere, so I brought mine. Might as well, seeing as we need to travel across Hyrule in very little time. It takes forever to walk around."

"No kidding. From here we need to get to Lon Lon. But that could take at least a day. "

Mellie smiles. "Not the way I plan to get there."

-----------

"Are you sure this is safe?" I look over at Mellie, who's currently talking to her horse. She says it understands her. Yeah, sure. She said she's telling it to come to Lon Lon with the horse I was riding. It'll be a miracle if it actually does. She knows Malon (there actually is a Malon at Lon Lon) and we should be able to borrow a horse. I hope she's right.

"All right then. Are you ready?" she asks. I look at her. I'm not sure if I'm ready to trust someone who talks to horses.

"As ready as I'll ever be, and that's not much." She laughs.

"Okay then, here we go." I brace myself. She walks over to me, and takes my hand in hers. After she mutters some nonsense words under her breath, I can feel a kind of pull on the air all around me. I close my eyes, afraid to look, but all of a sudden, the feeling stops, and I can feel solid ground beneath my feet again. I open up my eyes, and Lon Lon Ranch looms up before us. I look at Mellie.

"Wow! How'd you do that?" She laughs.

"It's very complex magic, but it's how I got from Kakariko to the castle in the space of one hour."

"I get the feeling it's going to be handy to have you around."

We cease chatter and walk toward the gates of Lon Lon Ranch.

-----------

"So good to see you again Mellie. Who've you brought with you?" Malon asks. When we walked into the ranch, we were immediately met by Malon. She wasted no time in inviting us in to breakfast. Her father had gone off to deliver some milk to somewhere. The breakfast, though not quite as large as the ones at the castle, was nonetheless delicious. We're off to see the horses, and get one for me to ride. Mellie and Malon chatter nonstop as we walk out to the pasture area.

"This is Link." I wave. Mellie rolls her eyes. Malon giggles.

"He's a quiet one, though you don't want to get him talking, he'll never shut up," Mellie says with a smile.

"Oh, like you have room to say anything. You never stop talking if you're around your friends. You don't stop talking even if you're not around your friends. I wouldn't be surprised if you talk to yourself."

Malon breaks into a huge grin. "Come on, you two, we're almost here." We walk up to the gate of the corral where the horses run around. The horses all seem to sense our arrival, because they all look up at us. I notice that none of them are tied up. They're all just standing around, chewing on the grass without a care in the world. There are horses of all different shades, some white, some red, and some jet-black, though most are a light sandy brown.

"See any that catch your eye?" I look around, and notice a brick-red horse towards the back of the corral. It looks familiar...

"What about that one at the back?" I point. Malon looks, and sighs. I've learned by now that when someone sighs, it's usually not about something good.

"You'll never be able to tame that horse. She doesn't seem to like anyone but me." Malon walks over to the horse, who looks up at her, starts to run away, and then, realizing who it is, stays put. Malon calls from over near the horse. "She might stay here if I'm here, but I'm not guaranteeing anything."

I walk slowly over toward the horse, but upon seeing me, it bolts. I sigh. "That went well."

"Well, we'll just have to try it a different way." Her optimism's going to get to me after a while.

"What different way?" She smiles, and starts singing. I stare in amazement. The horse is coming back! "How'd you do that?"

"Easy. You just have to show it that you care. It likes my voice. That helps."

"You don't expect me to sing to it, do you? Malon, I can't sing. I can't even hum! I have no musical talent whatsoever."

She smiles at me. "Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm sure you'll do fine." She smiles at me. Yeah right. Like anyone's going to make me sing...

"What, are you scared?" a voice says from behind me. I was so caught up in choosing a horse, I completely forgot that Mellie's here.

"I'm not scared. I just don't want you to hear me sing. I can't sing. It's a known fact."

She looks at me, those silver-blue eyes penetrating. This is the first time in a while that she's looked serious. "I think you can sing. Try. You never know. Maybe you can sing very well, but just don't realize it."

"What's with wanting me to sing so badly?"

"You should never doubt yourself. Ever." I sigh. She's being cryptic again.

"I have an idea. How about we choose a horse later? I want to see the rest of the ranch."

"Come on then. It's very pretty, even if it is simple." And with those words, Malon marches off with us trailing behind.

-----------

"You need a horse. Why don't you just sing to it?" Mellie's been trying to get me to see it from her side for about an hour. I'm too tired to care. I spent the first part of the day looking at the ranch, and the second half trying to learn how to ride. I'm no good at that.

"Mellie, give it a rest. I want to go to sleep."

"You're very obstinate, you know that?" I sigh, and face her. She's in a bed across the room. I'm lying in my own, trying to get to sleep. She won't let me, though.

"Yes, I know that. Go to sleep."

"That's just the attitude that made Zelda mad at you. That 'I give up it's too hard' attitude." She's mentioned Zelda. I'm listening now.

"Why should you care if Zelda hates me? It's not your problem."

"I never said Zelda hates you. I just said that she's mad at you. Hate is a very powerful emotion, not to be directed at just anyone."

"You mean Zelda doesn't hate me?"

She stares at me. "Of course not! What made you think that?"

I remain silent. It's not really her place to intrude...

"Anyway, there's no reason to give up on that horse. That's your horse, Link. You just don't realize it yet."

It's my turn to stare. "What makes you say that's my horse?"

She smiles. "You two are so alike. You don't listen to a word anyone says."

"Go to sleep."

She laughs. "It's true." She's silent for a while. I'm not sure if she's thinking or sleeping. I know she was thinking when she talks again. "It's a good thing we didn't have to see those Gerudo today." That brings up the memory of what she said yesterday.

"What about the Gerudo?"

She sighs. She's not going to tell me. Sometimes I wonder if befriending her was a mistake.

"Go to sleep."

-----------

_I'm running down a long hallway. I'm going very fast. I look back, expecting to see the leader of the brotherhood chasing me, but instead I see Mellie. Wait... It's not Mellie, but a boy who looks like her. I turn a corner, and run into Zelda, who looks like Malon. I keep running. Zelda, or Malon, who looks kind of like Mellie now, is running along beside me. I'm dragging someone on my back, but I'm not sure who. I feel an arrow bite into my leg, and look at it to see a dark red spot on the back of my leg. I was expecting green. Mellie stops, and casts a spell around our pursuer, enclosing him in a bubble. 'Run!' she shouts at me. I do. The weight is gone from my shoulders, and I turn around to see Zelda joining Mellie. The boy who looks like Mellie is casting his own spell. Their magic won't be strong enough. I turn, and join them as well, knowing it's futile. I can feel myself weakening as I struggle to hold the spell. This'll never work, he'll kill us for sure... I watch, helpless, as he breaks free. I'm too weak to do anything. He shoots arrows into both of the girls, and I feel a surge of hate. He slowly turns towards me, and I see his face clearly. He's smiling sadistically as he aims the crossbow at me, and I hear him whisper, 'Goodbye, Hero.'_

I wake with a start. Once again, I find myself drenched in cold sweat. I shiver. That was definitely strange. I look over at Mellie, who's sleeping peacefully. It's the middle of the night. I get up and pull my tunic on over my pants. I walk to the window. No one's in the horse corral. I can go there to be alone. I pull on my boots as well, and go to the table between my bed and Mellie's. I open the drawer to find a small backpack-like bag. It's very empty right now, except for a few things. I open it, and take out my ocarina. Might as well get a bit of practice in. I make my way out of the house, and down to the corral. I look at the ocarina. How did Zelda expect me to play this? I put the instrument to my lips, and blow softly. A soft note emerges. I try covering all of the holes, like Zelda said. Another successful note. I might actually get the hang of this. I try uncovering some of the holes, and I get several different notes. No song yet, though. I try a scale, and don't quite get it. I know that the more holes covered, the lower the note will be, but I don't know which holes to uncover.

"Need some help?" someone says from behind me. I jump at the unexpected noise.

"Mellie! What are you doing up? Did I wake you?"

Mellie smiles. "No, I woke of my own accord. So, you're trying to play the ocarina? You're not very good."

I smile sarcastically. "Thanks for that vote of confidence. I've told you I have no musical talent."

"No, you have the ability. If you didn't, you'd still be trying to get notes out of that thing. Believe it or not, you're halfway there."

I smile. I'm halfway there. "So will you help me?"

Mellie jumps back in mock surprise. "You're actually asking for help? Wow!"

"Seriously, though, I need someone's help, and since you're here... How can I make music come out of this thing?" She laughs.

"Give." I hand her the ocarina. She sets it to her lips, and plays a slow, sad song. I'm entranced. I stand there, listening, and all my worries leave me. She stops playing, and snaps her fingers in front of my face. I give a start.

"What? Why'd you stop?" I look at her.

"That was a spell. If I hadn't awakened you, you'd be entranced forever. You really need to work on that."

I stare at her. "Aren't you going to teach me how to play the ocarina?"

"Of course I am. You needed to hear a song played on it, and I've wanted to try that song for a while now. My brother won't let me try it on him."

"Oh, okay... Wait. You have a brother?"

"Yes. Didn't I tell you 'bout him?"

"No, you didn't. What's he look like?"

"He looks kinda like me, but with shorter hair, and he doesn't laugh or smile much. Not like me."

I wonder...

...No, it couldn't be...

...Could it?

"So, on with the lessons. You know how to hold it so you cover all the holes? Good. Play a note." I play a note. "That's called C. Uncover this hole here, and play, and you'll have D." I get the feeling this is gonna be a long night...


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Chapter 11! Please review! (Pretty please?)

Chapter 11

"Come here girl!" I try to call over the horse from yesterday, but to no avail. That damn horse just doesn't like me!

"Try singing it over," suggests Malon. I've already told them that I'm not about to embarrass myself. I look at her, and she looks away. "Or not."

"You could play it over," suggests Mellie. I turn to stare at her.

"What? What do you mean?"

"With your ocarina. Play a song." Malon gives an excited gasp.

"You have an ocarina? Can you play it?"

"I can make noise come out of it, if that's what you mean." Mellie giggles.

"He can play it. Sort of."

I give a derisive snort. "I'd have better luck with the singing."

"Go on, just try it. You never know."

I dig my ocarina out of the backpack on my back. I raise it to my lips, and let out one long note. I feel something wet drip down the back of my neck. "Please tell me that the horse did not just drool on my neck." I'm not reassured by their instant laughter. I turn around, and the horse that was right behind me runs away. Mellie and Malon are both helpless with laughter on the ground. Mellie points at me.

"You should have seen your face!" Mellie breaks out into laughter again. Why does it seem that people are laughing at me more in the past couple days? I walk away, wiping the saliva off of my neck with my hat. That was completely disgusting. I hear Navi laughing at me from on top of my head. I hold out my hat in front of me. It's gonna need washed...

-----

"Thif if wunnful," I try to say with food in my mouth. Mellie rolls her eyes, and Malon giggles.

"Thanks! I try."

We're waiting for her father to arrive. He should be getting here any minute now. After dinner, we all go and sit by the fire, and Mellie and Malon talk while I try to get a song out of my ocarina. Every now and then I'll get snippets of recognizable melody. Not very often does this happen. Mellie finally gets up and comes over.

"You really want to learn a song?"

I nod.

"Okay, follow my lead." She takes the ocarina out of my hand and plays a song I vaguely remember from somewhere.

"You try." I take back the ocarina, and try to remember the position of her fingers for the notes. I don't do a very good job. Mellie sighs. I hate it when she does that.

"Maybe if I wrote the notes down on paper for you. Could you play it if I did that?" I nod again. "Good." She jots down some notes with a quill onto parchment. Never thought I'd live to see the day when you couldn't just pick up a pen and a notepad. She hands me the paper, and I try to play the notes, stopping periodically to ask how to finger something. Mellie's smiling when I finish.

"You managed to produce a recognizable song! Finally!"

"I did, didn't I? By the way, what was I playing?"

She smiles back at me. "Greensleeves. Fitting, isn't it?"

-----

_I'm running very fast. I turn around, and see the boy who looks like Mellie chasing me. I turn a corner, and run into Zelda, or is it Malon? I feel something bite into my leg, and look at it. A small dark patch of red is forming. I was expecting green. I look over at Zelda, or Malon, who looks kind of like Navi now. I'm carrying Mellie on my back, but she leaps off, and casts a spell at our pursuer. Zelda and Navi have stopped as well. I turn around, and try to help them, but he's too strong, even with all four of us. He fires arrows at the girls, and then turns toward me, but I rush him, and am able to push him to the ground. However, just when I feel I've got the upper hand, he casts a spell around me, encasing me inside a glass sphere. He's just out of my reach. He whispers 'Got you, Hero...'_

I wake at once. The same recurring dream haunts my sleep. That's probably not a good sign. I look over at Mellie. She's tossing and turning. I wonder if she's having a nightmare too...

I walk over to her, and shake her awake. She sits up at once, and pulls me down onto the bed, dagger in hand. I look up at her, surprised.

"Hey! What are you doing?" She looks at me, realization in her eyes.

"Link! I'm sorry! I didn't realize it was you! Oh, I'm so sorry!" She lowers the dagger, and pushes me off of her bed. "What are you doing over here anyway?"

"You were tossing and turning, and I thought you were having a nightmare, so I came to wake you up." She frowns at me.

"Thanks, but it was an informative nightmare, and I would've liked to see the end of it."

"Informative nightmare? You believe in prophetic dreams?"

"You don't? You, of all people, don't believe in prophetic dreams?" I stare at her.

"Of course not."

"Your coming here was predicted."

I roll my eyes. "I was to be summoned on my eighteenth birthday. They knew I was coming here."

"Bad example."

"What were you dreaming about anyway?" She averts her eyes.

"I'd rather not talk about it..."

I walk back over to my bed. I probably won't be falling back asleep, but I don't want to wake anyone up. I notice that Mellie's crying. "Is something wrong?"

She looks up at me with tear-stained eyes. "It's just... Well... I dreamed..."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, if I don't tell someone soon, I'll burst. Link... I dreamed you died."

Whoa. She what? "It's okay. I don't plan on dying anytime soon. Do you often dream that your friends die?"

"Only one other. I dreamed they died a day before they actually did."

I gulp. "It's a coincidence. It must have just been their time."

"They were fifteen. So was I."

"Oh." It's all I can think of to say. This is probably hard for her. I walk back over to her bed and sit down on it. "Like I said, I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Your job is a dangerous one," she points out. No point in arguing over that one. I completely agree.

"I know, but I'll be careful. And besides, I've got you."

She looks down at her feet. "It's just... It's really who killed you more than it is the fact that you died." I raise my eyebrow at her. "Not that that's not important!"

"And who was this mystery murderer?"

Tears stream down her face anew. "My brother."

Gulp. "Mellie?" She looks up at me. "Is it bad if we had the same dream?"

-----

It's morning. Somehow I managed to have a nightmare-free night. We're sitting at breakfast with Malon and her father. He came back sometime during the night. He's eyeing me with increasing dislike, as if I shouldn't be here. I overheard him asking Malon if I was sleeping in her room. He must not think that a boy alone with two girls is going to be very responsible. I don't really blame him. If I came home to my daughter (if I had one) alone with a boy in the house, she'd be grounded. I hope I didn't get Malon in trouble. She's been so kind to us. Mellie looks over at me. She hasn't eaten anything. Neither have I. I'm still thinking about the fact that Mellie's having the same dreams I am. That's got to be a bad omen. Not that I believe in such things. I return to my eggs. The table's really quiet without the constant chatter of Mellie and Malon.

"Someone say something," Malon comments from across the table.

"The eggs are good," Mellie says blandly. Like she would know. She hasn't eaten one bite of them.

"You might be able to say that truthfully if you'd eaten any," says Malon. "What's wrong with you two? You usually never shut up."

Mellie gives her a look that says 'Don't ask'.

"Well, if you two aren't going to eat your eggs, let me give them to the pigs. They'll be glad to get them." She walks out of the house, carrying our dishes with her.

"Well, I'm going out to the horses. Malon said that Raven's arrived. That's my horse if you're wondering." Mellie walks towards the door.

"I'll go with you." I make to follow her, but a booming voice from behind me stops me in my tracks.

"You, boy! I'd like a word with you." I turn around slowly.

"Yes sir?" Don't want to offend him, especially when he seems upset with me. Mellie hurries out of the room, but I can hear her snickering under her breath.

"What's your name?"

"Link, sir."

"Link, is it? Well then, Link, I just want to tell you that if I see you put just one toe out of line around Malon, it'll be the end of you. I'm not pretending for a second that I'm pleased that she had you here while I was away."

"Yes sir."

"You may go now." I walk out of the door. That was a close one. I walk toward the corral, ocarina in hand. That horse is going to like me whether it wants to or not. I reach the corral to find Mellie already there with her horse Raven. I walk in, and the red horse runs to the other side of the corral. I sigh.

"She really doesn't like you, does she?" Mellie says. I put the ocarina to my lips, and recall as best I can the song Greensleeves. The horse looks over at me, and continues chewing on the grass.

"Maybe it's the wrong song?" Just then Malon walks over.

"You have to play a special song if you really want her to like you. Let me show you." Malon comes over and takes the ocarina from me and plays a very pretty song. I think it's the one that she sung on the first day we met her. The horse whinnies and runs over, though it bolts when I reach out to pet it.

"You have to play it." She hands me the ocarina, and I play the song as best I can. To my surprise, the horse comes right up to me.

"Hello there. You're a pretty girl." I can't believe I'm talking to a horse. I notice that she's got no saddle. "Do you have a saddle for her?"

"She won't let us put one on her. You can try though." Malon rushes off to get a saddle, and Mellie smiles at me.

"Told you that you could play the ocarina." She smirks. Malon comes out at that moment, and the horse whinnies.

"It's okay, girl. Malon, what's her name, anyway?"

Malon comes over with the saddle. "Her name's Epona. Hold her still while I get this on." I keep my hand on Epona's neck, and miraculously she lets Malon put the saddle on. "I don't know how she'll react to being ridden. She's never let anyone ride her before."

I walk beside the fine horse. I remember vaguely the riding lessons Malon tried to instill into me. I somehow get onto the horse without falling off, and set off at a slow trot around the corral. Navi comes out to see what's going on, and sits on my shoulder to enjoy the ride. I decide to have a little fun. I urge the horse on to a run, and Navi gets thrown from her perch on my shoulder. I laugh. This is actually fun.

"Hey! She likes you! How 'bout you and I race?" Mellie calls from over near Malon.

"How in the world am I supposed to race you? I'm not that good of a rider."

"Just try it. Raven's been dying to be raced!" I wonder how she knows what her horse wants.

"Just as long as you don't laugh too hard when I lose." I trot over to where Mellie's mounting Raven.

"Okay, how 'bout twice around the corral?"

"That's fine. Malon can start us off."

Malon walks up beside us. "Good luck. Go!" And we're off! Raven's in first for the beginning, but I'm actually closing the gap and pulling in front a little ways in. It's really neck and neck... I'm starting to think that I might actually win this. That would give me bragging rights for a while...

We turn a corner, and I lose the upper hand. Mellie's pulled in front of me. I try desperately to pull around her, but she's blocking me. I let her be in front of me for a while, and make my move while we're rounding the corner. She moves out from the wall a little, and I move up beside her. She makes a face at me. I can't help but grin. I take the corner with ease I didn't know I had. I stay in the lead until we finish the first lap, then Mellie starts to pull ahead again. I frown. I though I was winning. We come upon the first corner, and Mellie pulls in front of me again. I know she's not going to let me around her like last time. I try to pull around her from the outside, but she moves to block me. I'm going to have to try something risky if I want to win, and believe me, I do. As we come upon the last turn, I try to pull around her from the outside, but she turns around, sees me, and pulls to cut me off. Just like I wanted her to. The combined effort of pulling her horse out to block me and turning the corner puts her at the edge of the track, and I quickly move around her. We're neck and neck. I have to move ahead of her if I want to win. I urge Epona on towards the finish line. Mellie does the same with Raven. I can't seem to pull ahead of her... As we near the finish line, Raven starts to pull ahead. I urge on Epona, but I know we're not going to get there. The finish is almost upon us. Raven slows slightly, and we drop back neck and neck. I see my opportunity. We can't be more than ten feet from the finish, and I lean forward, urging on my horse. Epona seems to read my thoughts. With an extra burst of speed, we pull ahead just as we're crossing the finish. I turn around and look at Malon and Mellie. Mellie's put on a fake smile, but I can tell she's fuming. Malon's cheering.

"Yeah! Go Link! Take a victory lap!" She's practically jumping up and down.

I turn Epona around toward them. "No victory lap. That track is the longest I've ever seen! Two laps! I'll bet anything Epona wants a break." I dismount. As I'm walking over to the girls, I notice Malon's father watching me from the house. He's smiling.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter! I needed to get something up before this story slipped into oblivion. Next chapter will have more… well, more everything. I admit it, openly and publicly: this isn't my best work.

Onto other matters, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to fallenangel and canihavea-soda, who both reviewed this story. You make me so happy! I'd also like to give Soda an extra-special thanks for reviewing _every single chapter_. I was warm and fuzzy the entire day! You just really don't know how it felt to get online and see _eleven_ review alerts sitting in my inbox. I was more than ecstatic.

Okay, now on with the chapter, in all its pathetic short-ness!

Chapter 12

"Well, I think you cheated!" Mellie cries at me.

"How could I cheat in a horse race? It's not like I jumped a fence or something." Mellie stares at me, trying to think of a comeback to this. I use her momentary lapse to my advantage. "Malon, you saw it, I won fair and square, right?" Malon giggles from across the room.

"You never told me you could ride that well. Where'd you learn to race like that?"

"Fact is, I'm not really sure what came over me. I can't ride horses. I've never ridden before! It's really strange."

Mellie stares at me. "You just walk everywhere?" I completely forgot. They think I'm from here.

"I'll explain it later."

Malon's dad has just started to like me. I never thought he would, but I guess he thinks if someone can befriend that wild horse, then they're trustworthy. I've been riding practically all day, trying to outrace Malon, but I just can't seem to beat her. Mellie and Malon are both staring at me like I've got two heads.

"Well, it's late and I'm going up to bed. See you in the morning." Mellie stands up and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Malon. She looks over at me.

"It's really strange… You say you don't know how to ride, but you won a race against Mellie. She's really a very good jockey. It took me some time before I could best her in a race. Are you sure you've never ridden before?"

I sigh. I don't know if I should tell her or not. It can't hurt, can it?

"Malon, I'm not from Hyrule. I was raised on earth, and they don't use horses to get around on earth. It'd take a while to explain, and you really wouldn't understand it if I tried. I still don't understand it."

"Don't worry about it. I've actually heard of earth, but I thought it was just a legend. So you're from earth? What's it like there?"

I take a minute to think about this. I never would have thought that people actually knew about this. Maybe our races were in communication long ago, or something. I wouldn't put it past the Hylians. "Earth is kind of like Hyrule. There are lakes, and fields, and a sun and a moon, and basic stuff like that. But there are also cities that are much busier even than Hyrule Castle Market. There are lots of people. I think there are six billion. It's a much bigger place than Hyrule, but it's a lot dirtier. Hyrule is so pure. There's no magic on earth, though there are people who claim to be able to perform it. There aren't any elves either. Everyone is human."

Malon is silent for a few seconds, taking all of this in. "There aren't any elves? And no magic? How do you do anything?"

I have to laugh. That's just the reaction I thought I'd get. "Well, we have what we call 'technology'. It's kind of like magic, but not quite. We use electricity."

Malon's looking very confused. "What's electricity?" I should have known.

"Well, have you ever shuffled across a carpet, and then touched something metal and received a shock? Well, that's electricity in a very weak form."

She still looks a little lost. "How does that light fires and get you across vast distances?"

"It's all very complicated, but we don't use fireplaces anymore. It'd take forever to explain it to you. Just take my word for it. I'll see if I can take you there sometime, but don't get your hopes up, because I'm not sure how all that works." She smiles. Glad I don't have to explain that. "Well, I'm going to bed, so see you in the morning."

Mellie's sitting on her bed, obviously waiting for me. "What's earth like?"

"You were eavesdropping?"

"No, I knew you were from earth. Someday I'd like to go there. What's it like?"

And I launch into another explanation…

-----

_I'm on earth. Mellie's running hard beside me, and my own legs are weak from exhaustion. We've been running for a few days now, with little rest. Suddenly an arrow speeds past my ear (which isn't pointy anymore) and I know our trail has been found. I just hope we can outrun them…_

It's morning. I actually managed to sleep through the night. Someone's standing over me. I turn over and pull the covers over my head.

"Go away. It's not properly morning yet!"

I hear Mellie's sarcastic voice. "If you had your way, you wouldn't be up until noon. Now get up, we've got a long day ahead of us."

I stay right like I am. I can feel Mellie trying to pull the covers out from around my head. I hold on to them as tightly as I can. Mellie sighs.

"Get up! Malon's making breakfast! If you don't hurry, you'll miss out and have to eat with the horses. And we might just feed you horse food." The mention of food gets me up right away.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me. Now get up, or I'll have to make you get up. And you don't want me to have to make you get up."

I sit up, and glare at her. "You've awakened the wrath of the Hero of Time, and I don't forget who wakes me up in the morning."

She smiles and nods sarcastically. "I'll remember that. Just be sure to brush your hair. It looks awful."

-----

I'm sitting at breakfast with Mellie and Malon. They're talking properly again. No more awkward silences. Mellie suddenly looks over at me. "Link, do you have an idea of where you want to go first on your quest?"

I haven't thought properly of our quest for a while. I've been too busy relaxing. "First we need to get me a sword. Then I think we should go to Kakariko and Goron City to get the stone we need." Mellie smiles.

"Good! I've been feeling a little homesick. We'll start out after breakfast, then?"

"You're leaving so soon? I hoped you'd stay another day," Malon says.

"Wish we could, but time waits for no one." Mellie looks at me again. "So, you need a sword? I have one you can use. I don't often use it, and I have my magic anyway. It's with my pack in the room. It's not going to do you much good, though, seeing as you can't wield it."

"I can too wield it," I mutter in self-defense. Mellie ignores me.

"After breakfast then."

"Eat slowly," I comment sarcastically. I'm in no hurry to walk straight into death's waiting arms, and I have no doubt that we're doing just that.

-----

"Do you like it?" Mellie asks from across the room. She's just given me her sword, and I'm trying it out. I swing it a couple of times, and sheath it again.

"It's nice. Are our horses ready?" She crosses to the window and looks down on the lawn.

"Malon's just bringing them out. So we ride to Kakariko."

I turn away from her to pack my ocarina. I wasn't anxious for this day, but I'm glad to be getting it over with now that we're on our way. I face her once more, sword and pack slung over my shoulder. "Let's go."


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Chapter 13! Finally! Thanks goes to canihavea-soda for faithfully reviewing this piece of… writing, and thanks also to Mimi, a new reviewer! This chapter has a lot more action in it (and it's considerably longer than the last one), so I hope that it fulfills your fanfiction needs! I had to go back and rework a few bits, but I'm pretty satisfied with the end product. I would also like to take this time to mention a contest on my webpage (wow, I finally have a web page… granted, it's only a free one, but still…) and I would love it if people would enter. The deadline will be extended until December 31, to give you all more time to write (because I have yet to receive an entry), but by then it is _closed_. No extensions, no exceptions, no nothing. So there. But I'll give you all the benefit of the doubt as I keep forgetting to mention it. (Though if you've read my profile, the link is displayed there as my homepage, so…)

Chapter 13

"Are we there yet?" I ask for the hundredth time. We've been riding hard since we left Lon Lon. It's well past lunch.

"No. I'll tell you when we arrive." Mellie's obviously annoyed with me. Good. I'm annoyed with her too.

"Why can't we just go there with magic?" Mellie sighs. We've been over this before.

"We would attract too much attention to ourselves. Ganon can sense strong magical vibrations. He sensed your coming here, and knew you were at the castle. That's how he knew to attack you there."

"So that's how he knew where I was… Learn something new every day." I pause for a moment. "How do you know that?"

She looks away. "Does it really matter how I know? The fact is that I know." Touchy subject. I sit in silence for a while, but not for long.

"Are we there yet?"

-----

It's about an hour after sundown, and we've started a fire to keep animals away. Kakariko is a long way away. I've taken first watch. Mellie's lying beside me, fast asleep. I've been thinking about what Mellie said earlier. I wonder if Ganon's sensing my presence right now. I give a small shiver. What if he's watching me right now, laughing that evil laugh of his, and plotting his next evil plan? I wonder what could make a person like that. I answer myself almost immediately. Greed, envy, and hatred. That's what turned his heart black. I look over at the fire. It's very warm. The combination of warmth and riding all day is finally getting to me… My eyes droop with sleep, and I fall back against a nearby tree.

-----

_We're running very fast through a small forest. The air is more clogged than I'm used to and I can tell we're on earth. Mellie looks at me from beside me. "Link! Link, wake up! C'mon, get up! This is important!" She reaches out and starts shaking me. I can't help but think that if she doesn't stop, they'll catch us…_

"Link! Get up!" Mellie's harsh whisper reaches my ear, and I open my eyes.

"Wha-" I start to say, but she clamps her hand over my mouth.

"Hush!" She's whispering for some reason.

"What's going on?" I whisper back. I notice that it's nearly dawn. Mellie's put the fire out. How long was I asleep?

"Someone's following us." Her answer is enough to shake the last remnants of sleep from me.

"We need to move. Are the horses ready?" I stand and walk over to them while Mellie gathers the rest of our belongings. The horses are ready, waiting for us to mount. Mellie's work, most likely.

"Are you ready?" I ask. She walks over and mounts her horse in answer. I retrieve my sword and belongings, and we start off again. Mellie continually looks over her shoulder, searching for some sign of our follower. We reach a hilltop by sunrise, and I get a glimpse of Kakariko. It sits on a little plateau with Death Mountain in the background. It's an amazing sight. Mellie stops beside me.

"It's very pretty. I've always been amazed at the way it looks in that first light of sunrise. It's a lovely little town, but we won't get there for another hour, at least." I sigh. I haven't had anything to eat since the breakfast at Lon Lon, and I know that Mellie won't want to stop to eat. I decide not to risk her bad mood and don't ask. Probably one of my smarter moves. We ride for another hour, at one point crossing a small river, and finally reach the brick stairwell that leads to Kakariko. At this point Mellie looks at me.

"Where should we go first?" I can't believe she's actually asking me. That's gonna take some getting used to.

"If there's anyone you would want to see before we go to Goron City, you should probably do that while we're here. After that, we'll probably have to go see the leader of the Gorons. Let's just hope it'll be that easy."

Mellie looks at me, relief in her eyes. "I was hoping you'd let me go and visit with my family. My mother is probably worried sick." We head up the stairs, into the village.

-----

A Brief Interlude

"Well, Melanie's certainly the attentive little gnat, isn't she?" a lone voice said to no one in particular. A tall boy, no older than fifteen, looked down upon the makeshift campsite, his short black hair blowing slightly in the breeze. He watched her wake her comrade, and they both hurried off while cover of darkness lasted.

"You think you can outrun me? Very amusing." He walked toward his own horse. "Oh well. Not like we can't catch them." His horse gave a whinny. Its glossy coat, pure black like the garments of its owner, shimmered in the waxing sunlight. It turned its amber eyes forward, and at a signal from its rider, galloped off after the departing duo.

-----

Mellie and I are sitting in the kitchen of her mother, her only living relative in Kakariko. Her mother is currently trying to prepare breakfast for us, talking to us all the while.

"It's so nice to see you again, Mellie. And who's your guest? It's great that you've decided to settle down with a nice young man."

Mellie looks taken aback. "Mother! We're not like that, we're just friends! He's Link, by the way. I've been to see Malon, too. She says she misses you. I've missed you too."

"Malon? She always was a sweet dear. I hope she's doing okay. So you're Link, are you? Nice to meet you. Here, dear, help me with this." Mellie goes over to help her mother with breakfast, and she continues to talk to me.

"I don't believe I've seen your face around Kakariko before. Where're you from?"

"I'm from Hyrule Castle Market. It's so busy there, not at all like here." Mellie's mother walks over with a steaming plate of pancakes. I love pancakes. "Those look wonderful. Of course, anything looks wonderful after not having anything to eat since breakfast yesterday." I throw an accusatory glare at Mellie.

"It's not my fault. I wanted to move fast, to throw off our tracker." Mellie's mother stares in surprise at her daughter.

"You were being followed? Are you all right, dears?" Mellie rolls her eyes.

"Mother, I can take care of myself. I'm of age." Her mother still looks unsure.

"She's a very accomplished sorceress. She can change the way she looks and everything!" Mellie laughs.

"That's very simple magic, Link. I could teach you how, if you want."

"Like I could do magic. Thanks for the offer, though." Mellie's mother gives me an odd look.

"You can't perform magic?" I think I said something wrong. Mellie's glaring at me, and her mother's looking confused.

"You actually can. You just never have before. Mom, I have a bit of a confession. Or rather, Link does."

Her mother looks expectantly at me. Mellie gives me a look that plainly says she thinks I should have told the truth from the beginning. "Ma'am, I do have a confession. I'm not really from Hyrule Castle Market. I'm from earth."

She looks very confused. "But you're Hylian. You're an elf. Earth is populated with humans." She obviously believes in earth. That's good. It makes things a whole lot easier for me.

"Well, I was put on earth for… reasons. The sages changed my appearance to suit my surroundings. When I came back, my appearance changed back to its intended form. Zelda says it's because of my connection with the Sacred Realm, but I'm not sure."

Mellie's mom is looking at me in amazement. "You're on a first name basis with the princess? And what does the Sacred Realm have to do with this? And who are the sages?"

Mellie sighs. "You've said way too much, but this is my mom we're talking to, so don't worry. Just don't say these things to just anyone."

"Like I'd do that. Ma'am, are you familiar with the legend of the Triforce?" She nods. "Good. Now, just for the record, I'm the Hero of Time." She gives a small gasp. "I'm very much affected by the Sacred Realm. The sages sent me to earth for safekeeping. We're on a quest to strike down Ganondorf." Mellie's mom shudders at the name.

"Of course. That explains a lot. Now, come on, the breakfast is getting cold. Mellie, I hope you haven't been attracting trouble for Link."

Mellie laughs. "Link attracts his own trouble. We've officially saved each other's skin, and I don't doubt he'll need saving again."

It's my turn to laugh. "True though that may be, you attract just as much trouble as I do. Just look at what happened in the castle."

Her mom is quick to glare at her. "Just what happened at the castle?" Mellie gulps.

"Mom, I know that you told me not to, but I went after Haret." I'm guessing Haret is the leader of that brotherhood thing. Mellie's mom glares at her. "He heard me talking to Link about the assassination attempt, and Link rescued me." Mellie's mother's glare deepens.

"You shouldn't have gone! You could have been seriously injured!" Her mother continues glaring at her, and I'm forced to break the silence.

"Mellie saved my life, too. She's a very good sorceress; she could've taken on Haret. She lifted a curse that was cast on me. I owe her my life." Another silence covers the table. Breakfast isn't enjoyable anymore.

Mellie finally stands after what feels like an eternity. "Come on Link. We should really get going." Mellie's mother comes over and gives her daughter a huge hug. I can't help but smile.

"Don't do anything reckless! I'll worry myself sick until I see you again, but it seems you've got other things to do. I love you." Mellie, somewhat taken aback at her mother's behavior, smiles.

"Come on, Link! There's one other person I have to visit."

I look at her curiously. "You said that your mother was your only relative here." She smiles.

"She's my only living relative. We're going to the graveyard."

-----

I hate graveyards. They creep me out, even in the daytime. Mellie seems to not care though.

"Are you done yet?" Mellie's bent over a grave, mourning silently. She looks up and glares at me. I'll take that as a no. I glance over my shoulder. This place gives me the creeps. I walk over to Mellie.

"Don't ask if I'm done yet," she says. I close my mouth. How does she do that? I look over my shoulder once more, and am surprised to see someone standing at the entrance to the graveyard, casually leaning against the fence.

"Mellie…"

"Don't start." She doesn't even look up.

"Mellie!" She looks up at me.

"What! I've told you, I'm not…" She leaves it hanging. She's seen the person. The boy with the short black hair like Mellie's. The boy with the cold, cruel gray eyes. Mellie's brother. He's got this creepy smile on his face. He doesn't acknowledge us, just continues to look, smiling. Navi shoots out from my hat, her glow a fierce yellow. Mellie rises to her feet.

"What do you want?" He starts walking toward us. Mellie's positively shaking, though her eyes burn with anger. That can't be a good sign. Her brother stops a few yards from us.

"What? Are you frightened?" The words come out smoothly. He's not at all nervous. He continues to walk toward us. I draw the sword that Mellie gave me and step protectively in front of her. He laughs. I shiver.

"Amusing. Very amusing." He draws his own sword, one almost exactly like mine. "So, you're willing to fight? I can get something good out of this after all." He smirks. "I mean, besides getting rid of two big pests, and fulfilling a personal quest for the great Ganondorf." Mellie's seething with rage.

"Don't you try anything. I'm ready for you," Mellie says, stepping out from behind me.

"You won't try any magic."

I can't contain myself any longer. I rush at him. He blocks easily with his sword, and pushes me back, almost making me lose my balance. He's turned his gaze in my direction.

"Some hero. Doesn't even know how to use a sword properly." He pushes me back easily and I tumble to the ground, falling hard against a headstone and losing my breath for a moment. He turns back toward Mellie, who's seething with rage and loathing, and beginning some type of spell. "Now, to deal with the more dangerous of you two."

"You will NOT hurt her!" I scream, and lunge at Mellie's brother. He tries to block it, but the ferocity of my attack catches him off guard. I leap on top of him, and hit him hard on the side of the head with the hilt of my sword. He does a bit of magic back at me, and throws me off of him. I land hard, the wind knocked from me yet again. Mellie gasps, and loses her concentration on whatever she was about to do.

"Link!" She tries to rush over to me, but is hit hard with a spell from her brother. I sit up, ignoring my protesting body. Mellie's writhing in pain on the ground. Her brother's smiling, obviously enjoying this. Twisted freak. I lunge at him again, and break his concentration. We wrestle on the ground, me trying to keep him distracted, him trying to throw me. Somewhere in the background Mellie's chanting something. Mellie's brother finally gets a good hold on my throat, and I free his body to pull his hands away. All of a sudden Mellie's behind me, pulling me away from her brother. She manages to break his grip, and finishes her spell. I feel the air pull on me from all around, and I know that we're leaving the graveyard. Her brother casts his own spell at us, and I hear Mellie curse. He's doing something to her magic. All of a sudden, I feel energy coursing through me. We disappear in a flash of light, and a few seconds later land hard in the middle of a forest. I go to speak, but Mellie beats me to it.

"Where are we?"

"I was wondering just that." Mellie looks at me and gives a small gasp. "What?"

"Link! Look!" She points at me. I look down, and gasp myself. I'm wearing the earth clothing that I left here with!

"Do you have a mirror?" She hands me a small mirror from I don't know where, and I look at my ears. They've returned to human size and shape. I smile.

"Mellie? Do you know what this means? We're on earth!"

-----

A/N: Okay, I didn't put this at the beginning because I didn't want to spoil it, but I've realized that I should probably explain what happens to put the two on earth. Okay, as Mellie's casting the spell, she's originally casting it to go… well, somewhere other than earth, obviously. But her brother messes up her original spell, so she needs more power to back it. She gets this power from Link, because, although he doesn't know it, he owns the Triforce of Courage. When she took this power, she altered the destination. In his subconscious, Link really wanted just to go home and back to his normal life, so V_oila_! They end up on earth. Hope that clears up any potential confusion.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: As always, I would like to thank Soda for reviewing my fic (I can't get rid of you, can I?). In answer to her question… when I write him I do picture him as attractive, but I don't want to spoil anyone else's mental picture.

I hope you guys like this chapter. It's not _exactly_ where I want it to be, but I can't get it any better without forcing you guys to wait another month or so. Someday I'm going to go back and revise this story anyway, so I suppose you'll just have to wait until then…

Chapter 14

A Brief Interlude

The boy let out a low growl of frustration as the duo disappeared before his eyes. A spark of light in the corner of his vision caught his attention. Looking up, he saw the Hero's fairy flitting about worriedly. A wicked smile spreading across his face, he pulled out a jar and scooped the shining person out of the air.

Navi gasped in surprise as the jar came crashing around her, enclosing her in a prison of glass. She banged her tiny fists on the side of the jar and yelled. "Hey! Let me out!"

Mellie's brother smirked. "I think not. Fairies can be very useful." Tucking the jar out of sight, he spread his hands in front of him and muttered an incantation. The air shimmered, and a clear view of Link and Mellie's destination appeared. The boy smiled a sardonic grin.

"You think you're safe? I'm not through with you yet."

-----

Mellie's staring at me, trying to comprehend what I've just said. She breaks out into a huge grin.

"I've always wanted to see earth. Let's go!" She rushes off, leaving me to run after her.

"Hey, wait! Mellie, you still have pointy ears!" I catch up to her, and find her changing her appearance. Her ears are no longer pointy, and she's wearing a light blue shirt with jeans. I wonder where she learned what earth people wear.

"How do I look? I thought about going for a punk rock look, but this seems more sedate."

"You look fine, though punk rock would work too." I blink. "Wait… how do you know about…" But before I can finish that thought, Mellie's grabbed my hand and is dragging me away, out of the woods.

We travel quickly through the small patch of trees that I at first took to be a forest. As we emerge from the foliage, I see a field. Not just any field. It's filled with corn, so I can't see over it. No real need to though. I remember this field. We're very close to my neighborhood.

"Come on! We can get to my house from here!" I dart in among the corn, habit taking over. I don't know how many times I'd come here to be alone, just walking along the towering plants. Mellie's looking at them in amazement.

"What are they?" I have to laugh.

"It's called corn. You see those things growing out of the stalk? You peel off the leaves and eat the inside." Mellie looks at the corn with new respect. "How do you know about earth anyway?" I ask.

"My mother used to come here all the time. If you know where to look, you can find those with great power. She sought to find someone like that, but she never told me if she did. She started coming here less and less, eventually stopping altogether. Like I said, I don't know what she did here, but she always seemed to be better at more powerful spells when she got back."

"I wonder what she did here," I speculate. "Sounds like some kind of magic lessons." Mellie suddenly stops.

"Do you smell that?" she asks. I stop and sniff the air. It smells like something's burning.

"Yeah. Wonder what that is?"

Mellie walks by me, trying to judge where it's coming from.

"This way!" I make off at a swift run. We travel through the corn until I don't know my way through it anymore. Mellie's leading us with her nose. I'm faintly reminded of a bloodhound. I look up at the sky, and see a faint red glow coming from one direction, smoke billowing in front of it. We're heading in the general direction of it.

As we stumble through the corn, the sound of sirens reaches my ears. It's becoming quite clear to me that something's on fire. Mellie stops suddenly, causing me to bump into her. She doesn't even feel it.

"In what direction is your house?" I pause, trying to comprehend her meaning. Then it hits me.

"It can't be…" I take off running in the direction of the flames. I break out of the cover of the cornfield, and look up at the burning mass of buildings before me.

My neighborhood is on fire.

I run unheeded into the area. Burning debris surrounds me, occasionally falling at my feet. I stumble through the wreckage, trying to find my house. I need to see it, even if I don't want to. Every instinct tells me to turn back now, but I have to get there. I need to…

I can vaguely hear Mellie's footfalls behind me, but I barely care. I race down my street, not wanting to face the inevitable. I will myself to keep going. I must see…

I've reached my house. It's burning, like the rest of the neighborhood. I don't believe it. My home…

Mellie calls out to me. I don't hear her. I walk toward my house, my home for eighteen years…

"It's burning…"

Mellie runs up to me and commences to tell me how stupid I am for running into a burning village. I'm not listening. I look up at the destroyed house. This was once my home…

"Are you even listening to me? Link!" She grabs my arm. I don't feel it. I'm too numb to feel anything. I walk toward my door.

"Don't you even think about going in there!" She stands in front of me. I push her out of the way, barely seeing her. All I see are the flames…

I'm sweating from the heat. All I can do is stare at it. Someone steps out of the shadows, and I instinctively step in front of Mellie and draw my sword. I'm slightly surprised I have one. I never would have thought that it came to earth.

"I am not here to hurt you. You are hurting enough as it is." A boy about my age steps towards us. The flickering firelight gives his face a slightly eerie red tinge. His hazel eyes look at us pityingly. He seems very calm despite the current situation. "You may put your weapon away." I slowly slide the sword back into its sheath.

"Who are you?" I ask. He smiles.

"My name is Michael. I have come to find you. Come with me." He walks toward the door. I follow. "This is your house." It's not a question. "I do not know about your sudden appearance, but many people have been searching for you, not all of them with good intentions." We walk into the house. I notice charred remains of my possessions. I choke back a tear. "Your family searched for you. You have been gone but a few days, though it seems like an eternity. The Magi have been sitting, biding their time. It seems that this is the first step."

"The Magi?"

"Yes. I myself am a Magus. Have you noticed that you have not been touched by flame in here?"

I have noticed. We're surrounded by flame, but none of it touches us. "A spell?"

"Yes. As I was saying, this is but the first step. They will go farther. They have already wreaked havoc on this town, scaring the innocent, constantly searching for their leader. He has not been to this realm in over one hundred years, but all of the magi felt his presence on your birthday. They are returning to him. Few remain faithful to the side of the light. But such is the case. We are trying to persuade those that have not decided where to run to yet, but I fear that we are just not getting quite the response we need. It is fortunate you have arrived." We arrive at my bedroom. "I think you should see this." I step up to the door. Opening it slowly, I look in and see…

I'm looking into a huge room, covered in vines and dimly lit by torches. The damp brick walls on either side give the impression of being underground. "What's going on?" I look at Michael.

"This is the last remaining portal to one of our hideouts. There are no longer any people inside, you need not fear for any of our number. We needed a way to destroy the gateway to a powerful hidden artifact so that none who are undeserving may lay claim to it."

"Shouldn't it be held somewhere close so we can keep an eye on it?" I reach out my hand toward the doorway.

"No!" His arm shoots out and holds my hand back. Slightly embarrassed, he looks down at his feet. "It is not necessary to retrieve it. Come, we have lingered here far long enough." I glance suspiciously at him, but head back down the stairs with him anyway. Mellie's waiting for us on the ground floor.

"Link! Get out of there! It's not safe!" She's really ticked off at me. Must be because I ran into this burning mass of buildings. She's standing there, hands on hips, glaring at me. I take my time.

"Come. We should leave here. You should also change your appearance while you are here." Michael walks down to where Mellie is waiting. I linger a moment on the stairs, staring at the wreckage that once was my home.

"Link! Get down here!" Mellie sounds extremely annoyed. I really don't blame her, but I want one last look at my memories before I never see them again.

"Come Link. We must not be found here." Michael looks expectantly at me.

"I can't change my appearance. Mellie?" She hurries over to me, and I feel my hair getting slightly longer.

"Your hair is black like mine, and your eyes are gray. In short, you look like my brother."

"Thanks… Come on, let's go!" I walk purposefully towards the door, the others trailing behind.

We walk out the door to the street, Michael leading us. As we walk out of the neighborhood, I see the full extent of the damage. All of the houses are burning. None were spared.

"Michael? What happened to the people living here?" Michael looks over at me, his eyes pitying.

"A few made it out of their houses and into a safe haven. We helped as many as we could. Most, however, did not make it." He looks away. "Your parents were among those lost."

His words strike me like a blow to the face. My parents are gone? I stop walking, and a single tear slides down my cheek. "They're gone? What about my sister?"

Michael smiles. "Your sister was saved."

This dulls the pain some. "Where is she? Do you know?"

Michael smiles even broader. "She is with us. She has chosen to help the Magi." Mellie looks at Michael, utterly perplexed.

"His sister is with you? She knows magic?"

Michael smiles again. "Yes, and she is quite good at it, considering her parentage."

We continue walking. I don't feel the wind that ruffles my hair. My parents are dead. It's not possible. This is all Ganondorf's fault. He's so gonna pay. We're walking through the corn again. I barely feel the ground beneath my feet. Mellie keeps looking at me. I wish she'd quit. We come once again to the forest that we appeared in, and I get the peculiar feeling of being watched. Soon I'm lost among the trees, not even recognizing the paths that I used to come along to escape life for a while. It's a while before we stop at a very large tree. Michael puts his hand in a certain groove, and the bark disappears from one part. It's big enough for me to walk through if I crouch. We step through it, and into a very small dark space. As we begin to descend, Mellie gives a small gasp. After about a minute, we emerge in a huge space, about the size of a large warehouse. It has pearly gray-white walls, and it's filled with bookshelves, desks, chairs, and other things. There are about fifty people in here, all of them either reading, talking, or eating something. Michael smiles his biggest grin yet.

"Welcome to headquarters."


End file.
